New Delhi: India’s T20 team has chosen a new direction, one filled with aggression on the batting and bowling fronts. One that is about always attacking.
But in the middle of the chaos that aggression can sometimes bring, Tilak Varma is an oasis of calm and precision, and come the T20 World Cup in February, he just might be the most important cog in the Indian batting line-up.
Important because after Abhishek Sharma and (maybe) Sanju Samson have lit up the Powerplay, India will need someone to maintain the momentum. Important because if the openers fall early, India will need someone to take stock and play the smart game. Important because Varma can perform both these roles with aplomb.
England’s Bazball implosion or the failure of Sunrisers Hyderabad’s all-or-nothing approach in IPL shows that there is no one template that fits all pitch conditions or oppositions. Playing the middle path is a skill as well and one that the left-hander is well on his way to mastering.
Varma’s presence at No.3 or No.4 or No.5 sets the others free and over the last two years, his method has been an undoubted success. In 25 games, he is averaging 58.20 with a strike-rate of 145.01. Such consistency is not easily found in the shortest format but the left-handed batter from Hyderabad has found a way.
“By playing T20 games consistently now, I have learned one thing, (how to) be calm under pressure,” Varma told Star Sports after the fifth ODI against South Africa. “So when I am under pressure, I am staying calm and scoring runs along the ground. So, that has made me even more consistent and helps me finish games for the team.”
The 23-year-old made his IPL debut with Mumbai Indians in 2022 and ended up playing 14 games for the team in his first season. In the star-studded MI line-up, that isn’t easy for a youngster to do. It tells you that all the players there, including former captain Rohit Sharma and current captain Suryakumar Yadav, saw something special.
That special quality has now been on display in India colours for a while and it truly has come to the fore in the last year. To be sure, just over a year. It began with back-to-back centuries against South Africa in November 2024 — 107 not out at Centurion and 120 not out at Johannesburg.
From that point, he has stood up each time the team needed him to. A match-winning 72* (55b) against England in January 2025 got him going, a tournament-winning 69 not out against Pakistan in the Asia Cup at Dubai showcased his character, and the series against South Africa showed how well he adapts to different match situations and conditions.
“I am really grateful for how 2025 went, I always say, ‘God’s plan’,” said Varma after the final T20I against SA.
He added: “Except for the opening slot, we are ready to bat anywhere and that is also what I am ready for. I have batted a few games at No.3, No.4 and No.5. My only aim is to win the game for the team. So I just have to adapt to the situation and not think about where I am batting… I love to bat at top order but will do what the team needs.”
With all the flamboyant stars around him, it can sometimes feel like he has flown under the radar, but he is content to do his thing… play cricket his own way without worrying about comparisons and such.
The mature mindset is a rare strength. The manner in which he was turning to his struggling skipper Surya and telling him to just concentrate on trying to middle the ball was one such moment.
“To be frank, I was just saying, ‘middle a few balls and just wait and be calm Surya bhai’,” said Varma. “If the team wants, I can get going from the other side. You just stay at the crease and spend some time here.”
Varma knows Surya well but this is how he has always been — putting the team ahead of himself. To some, it takes some teaching but to Varma, it is second nature.
Perhaps part of it is because of the goals he has set for himself. One of the big reasons for Varma taking up the sport was India winning the 2011 World Cup, and now he wants to achieve that himself. He knows and realises that this can’t be done alone.
“After India won the 2011 World Cup, I started my career,” he said. “So my biggest dream is to win the World Cup and it is very close. I am sure winning the World Cup is a different feeling. We just want to do that… that’s all I can say for now.”