Tilak Varma was taunted by Pakistan wicket-keeper Mohammad Haris with the ‘This is not Mumbai, and this is not the IPL’ remark, and the Indian batter has now retorted with a savage reply.
India dominated Pakistan in the Asia Cup final and won the match by 5 wickets to seal their 9th Asia Cup title. However, at one stage, India were seemingly on the back foot with 3 wickets down for just 20 runs in their attempt to chase a modest target of below 150.
It was then, for that one batter, Tilak Varma’s masterclass, that India survived the initial scare and went on to secure a victory in the match. He was also declared the Player of the match for his spectacular knock.
Tilak Varma’s savage reply to Pakistan wicket-keeper’s ‘IPL-sledge’ in Asia Cup final
Tilak Varma was the architect of India’s win in the Asia Cup 2025 final, but there was a backstory involved behind his historic innings. When Tilak came out to bat, India were two wickets down, and soon Shubman Gill was also dismissed, resulting in some work for the middle-order batters.
This was the first time India had lost their top three in such quick succession, and just then, the Pakistan wicket-keeper Mohammad Harris mocked Tilak, saying, “This is not Mumbai, and this is not the IPL.” Tilak, known for his calm attitude, didn’t respond to any of these provocations.
In a latest X video, when someone asks him what was going on in his mind when words flew from the back saying ‘Yeh Mumbai nehi hai’ during the Asia Cup final, Tilak quickly remarked, ‘Mumbai nehi hai, par Mumbai-wala to hai. (This might not be Mumbai, but the Mumbaikar is here.)”
Tilak Varma misses out on the ODI Squad for the upcoming tour to Australia
India have announced their squad for the upcoming ODI series against Australia, and despite the absence of Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, and Ravindra Jadeja, India have not named Tilak Varma in the side.
After missing out on the Asia Cup 2025 as well as the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy, Yashasvi Jaiswal has been picked for the 3-match ODI series in Australia. While Dhruv Jurel has also been named in the ODI squad, the likes of Tilak, Abhishek Sharma, and Sanju Samson are still waiting for their chances.
After Sai Sudharsan’s repeated flops, would Tilak Varma be handed an opportunity in the South Africa Tests?
Another major buildup in the Indian Team has been surrounding the No. 3 roles within the Indian red-ball side. Sai Sudharsan, the Gujarat Titans youngster, has been presented with multiple chances, but he has not been able to capitalize.
On the other hand, under English conditions where Sudharsan recently struggled to score runs, Tilak scored a flurry of runs on his County Championship debut. Tilak’s domestic performance in the longest format of the game has also been very impressive, and hence, he might be up for a role very soon in the Indian Test side.