Tilak Varma is the new India T20I captain.
India's T20I vice-captain Tilak Varma discussed his strategy to adapt his batting, emphasising how conditions and match situations influence his play. Tilak Varma stated that the early wickets during the T20I series in the UK did not allow the middle order, including him, to play aggressively right from the start.
Tilak was questioned about India's winless streak in Ireland and England in T20Is before Thursday's opening T20I game against Zimbabwe in Harare. Tilak's batting strategy against slow bowlers was questioned along with his strike rate, though he did score a 25-ball 53 in the last game at Southampton.
"In this game, you have to bat in different places, and especially in such conditions, it's not easy. At the same point, I always say that I do whatever is required for the team. If I have to play the waiting game for the team, then I will play accordingly. If I have to hit, then I hit and play.
So, at that time, in the conditions of the team, if you look at it, from Ireland to England, you always had four or five wickets falling in the power play. So going there and hitting and getting out, it doesn't make a lot of sense,” Tilak Varma said as per the BCCI website.
Even though he wants to launch an attack right from the word "go", Tilak insisted that he occasionally needs to exercise caution.
"So that's what I always have in my mind, that I can go and hit the first ball. But at the same point, I'm playing for the country, so there are a lot of responsibilities. When you have a vice-captaincy attached to your name, the team must have given me that after due deliberation. So, I want to take the same responsibilities that the management gives me, so I'm playing according to that," said Tilak.
India’s tour of Zimbabwe will see them playing three T20Is on July 23, 25 and 26 in Harare.
Tilak expects Zimbabwe to come hard at them. Unlike last time, India are fielding a nearly full-strength squad.
"Zimbabwe is also a very good team. They are a very competitive team. And you see last year when we started the series, they won the first game. We expect them to come hard at us. As you can see, the wickets were good last time around. So, I was talking to them, because when we played in Zimbabwe last year, our junior team came in. So, at that time, almost a lot of people from that team were still here.
So, I was talking to them about how the wicket will behave. At the same time, again, we have played two series, Ireland and England. So, if you look at the ground, the dimensions are very big, and it's windy, and the conditions are cool. It would be an advantage having played here,” Tilak added.
(PTI inputs)