‘Took calculated risks, the wicket was slow’ – Tilak Varma sheds light on his unbeaten knock in 3rd T20I

Tilak Varma. (Photo Source: RANDY BROOKS/AFP via Getty Images)

India bowled well to restrict the West Indies to 159/5 in 20 overs in the third T20I in Guyana on Tuesday, August 8. However, the Men in Blue didn’t start well as debutant Yashasvi Jaiswal perished for one while a rusty-looking Shubman Gill was dismissed for six. Rovman Powell’s men had a spring in their strides but that didn’t last long as Suryakumar Yadav returned to form with a majestic 44-ball 83.

His partnership of 87 runs in 50 balls with Mumbai Indians teammate Tilak Varma took the hosts out of the game. The tourists eventually won by seven wickets with 13 balls left, to keep the series alive at 2-1. The 20-year-old Tilak, who had scores of 39 and 51 in the first two matches, played the supporting role to perfection.

After the match, in a chat with Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak revealed his mindset while batting in the middle. Praising his senior partner, the Hyderabad batter mentioned how he took calculated risks on a slowish pitch and tried to bat long.

“I was enjoying my batting and also enjoyed watching him [Suryakumar] from the other end. The ball was too slow and was getting stuck. I talked to Gill [Shubman Gill]. Surya is batting so differently and I just could not fathom it. I wanted to hit some big shots too. I had good starts in both previous matches and could have carried for longer. So I talked to Surya that we will go deep and finish the match. The wicket was slow, I took calculated risks and played long,” Tilak said during a chat with Suryakumar in a video shared by BCCI.

Maturity with the bat ✨
Breathtaking shots 🔥
What’s the wrist band story 🤔

Get to know it all in this special and hilarious chat from Guyana ft. @surya_14kumar & @TilakV9 😃👌 – By @ameyatilak

Full Interview 🎥🔽 #TeamIndia #WIvIND https://t.co/7eeiwO8Qbf pic.twitter.com/TVVUvV3p7g

— BCCI (@BCCI) August 9, 2023

I got freedom to express myself because you were standing at the other end: Suryakumar Yadav

Tilak Varma drew effusive praise from Suryakumar Yadav for allowing him to play his natural attacking game. The 32-year-old called the young Southpaw’s knock ‘mature’.

“Your knock was mature. I got freedom to express myself because you were standing at the other end. It was a perfect game,” said Suryakumar during his chat session with Tilak.