Tilak Varma was the Player of the Match in the second T20I between India and England played in Chennai on January 25, 2025. He smashed 72* in 55 balls and gave special treatment to England’s strike bowler Jofra Archer.
After the match, Tilak Varma said his jaw-dropping attack on pacer Jofra Archer in the second T20I here was pre-planned and designed to nullify England's greatest bowler, demoralizing the rest of the team.
Varma hit Archer for four sixes, and the pacer leaked 60 runs in four overs he bowled at Chepauk. Archer had figures of 4-0-21-2 in the first match at Kolkata, underlining Tilak's strategy's success in Chennai.
"I wanted to target their best bowler. If you take on the best bowler, other bowlers will be under pressure. So, when the wickets are falling (at the other end), I want to take on their best bowlers.
If I do that, it makes it easier (for other batters). So, I backed myself and took chances against him, and also whatever shots I have played against Archer, I have worked in the nets; mentally, I was ready for them. So, it has given me a good result,” Tilak said in the post-match press conference.
Tilak said he was mentally prepared to stay till the end and was ready to tweak his game according to the team's needs.
"I said (to myself) that whatever happens, I will be staying till the end, and I wanted to finish the game. I had a chat with Gautam (Gambhir) sir during the last match. I can play with a strike rate of 6 or 7 or above 10, as per the team's requirement. You should be flexible. Gautam sir also said during the drinks break (here). It is a time that you can show the people that you can play both types of innings. Happy that it paid off," he said.
The 22-year-old demonstrated incredible calculation in using the pace of the English pacers and finding gaps with surgical precision to accrue runs without taking much danger.
"The wicket was double-paced and quite challenging. With the kind of pace (England bowlers were bowling), it will be tough to hit the square of the wicket. So, I just wanted to use the pace and hit as much as I could behind (in the V behind the wicketkeeper). So, that's what I have done, and it has given me success," he said.
The third T20I will be played in Rajkot on January 28.
(PTI inputs)
