“Visualise every night how can I bat when we are four or five down for 40 in World Cup match”: Tilak Varma

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], July 7 (ANI): Following his maiden Team India call-up for the T20I series against West Indies, Mumbai Indians batter Tilak Varma said on Friday that he visualises every time that how he can bat in a potential situation in a World Cup match when his team has lost four or five wickets early.

In May 2022, MI skipper Rohit Sharma predicted that Tilak would be an all-format player for Team India soon.
“Having such a calm head is never easy, and in my opinion, I feel he is going to be an all-format player for India pretty soon. He has got the technique, and he has got the temperament, which is the most important thing when you play at the highest level,” said Rohit as quoted by ESPNCricinfo.

Now Tilak has taken a step closer to his Team India dream. The 20-year-old was named in India’s young-looking squad for the T20I series against the Windies, which will start from August.

“I visualise every night how I can bat: if in a World Cup match, we are four or five down for 40 or 50, from there on, how can I take the team forward? It helps in making it easy for me,” Varma said.

Tilak admitted that he was not thinking about his selection in the national side and his family was really emotional on his call-up.

“I was not thinking about the national side,” Varma, representing South Zone in the ongoing Duleep Trophy in Bengaluru, said after the second day’s play versus North Zone.

“My mom and dad were crying on video call yesterday; they were very emotional. My childhood friend called me [saying] you have got selected. That was the time – around 8 o’clock [pm] – that I knew I was selected,” he added.

Tilak said that he has learnt a lot from experienced stars like Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli and Rohit.

“I have heard a lot from Rohit bhai and Sachin sir, and also from Virat [Kohli] bhai. They always tell that when you are in good form, your subconscious mind is in the right place,” Varma said.

“They also tell me to play close to the body… they always tell that [preparing] off the field is very important,” he added.

Tilak is one of the biggest finds of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2020s. In his debut season during 2022, he scored 397 runs at an average of 36.09 and a strike rate of 131.02 with two half-centuries. He followed this with an improved record in 2023, scoring 343 runs in 11 matches at an average of 42.88 and a strike rate of 164.11, with one half-century.

Overall, he has played 47 T20s in which he has scored 1,418 runs at an average of 37.31. These runs have come at a strike rate of 142.51. He has a total of 10 half-centuries in the format, with the best score of 84*.