India’s T20I captain, Suryakumar Yadav, has heaped praise on the Mumbai Indians franchise for shaping Tilak Varma into a composed and confident player capable of handling high-pressure situations. His remarks came after Tilak’s match-winning performance in the Asia Cup final against Pakistan, where the youngster played a stunning unbeaten knock of 69 runs.
With India needing 10 runs in the final over, Tilak showcased remarkable composure, smashing Haris Rauf’s second delivery for a six to put India in control and eventually seal the win for the Men in Blue.
Suryakumar on Tilak’s evolution
Reflecting on Tilak’s growth as a cricketer, Suryakumar highlighted how his performances for Mumbai Indians laid the foundation for his success in international cricket. He recalled Tilak’s back-to-back T20I centuries against South Africa in 2024, noting that his defining moment came during the Asia Cup final.
“When we were in South Africa (in November 2024) and he scored two centuries, we got to know that Tilak Varma has arrived. But he showed us the real Tilak Varma in the (Asia Cup) final. He showed us what the real Tilak Varma is,” Suryakumar said in a video shared by Mumbai Indians on X.
He went on to emphasize the crucial role played by Mumbai Indians in grooming players for the biggest stages. “All of us – me, Bumrah, Tilak, Rohit Bhai, and Hardik – before India, we play for the Mumbai Indians in the IPL. Mumbai Indians is like a gurukul. Mumbai Indians is a gurukul where they make players. Hum waha par aise pressure situation mei batting karte and vo sab jo pressure hota hai hum try karte hai replicate karne ka jab hum India ko khelte hai tab. So when he played for India, he was already prepared. Tilak knew that he had played in such pressure situations before and had played good knocks in such situations before. I have been in such situations before. So I know what needs to be done,” Suryakumar added.
Tilak gears up for Australia T20Is
Following his heroics in the Asia Cup, Tilak is now preparing for India’s upcoming five-match T20I series against Australia, beginning on October 29. The tour marks his first series Down Under, and the 22-year-old will aim to continue his stellar form.
So far, Tilak has represented India in 32 T20Is, amassing 962 runs at an impressive average of 53.44 and a strike rate of 149.14. His tally includes four half-centuries and two hundreds, establishing him as one of India’s most promising talents in the shortest format.
India’s squad for Australia T20Is:
Suryakumar Yadav (C), Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill (VC), Tilak Varma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Sanju Samson (WK), Rinku Singh, Washington Sundar.
