India T20I vice-captain Tilak Varma has defended his batting approach after questions about his strike rate during the recent tours of Ireland and England. Varma said he adjusted his tempo according to India’s match situation and the responsibilities assigned by the team management.
The left-handed batter scored 178 runs from 135 balls across seven T20Is against Ireland and England, giving him an overall strike rate of 131.85. Varma made two half-centuries, scoring 55 from 46 balls in the second T20I against Ireland and 53 from 25 balls in the fifth T20I against England.
Varma explains why the match situation dictated his tempo
Varma said India’s loss of early wickets in several matches required the middle order to rebuild rather than attack immediately. The 23-year-old said India had lost four or five wickets inside the powerplay or within the first 10 overs on multiple occasions across the Ireland and England tours.
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In a report from the pre-match press conference, Varma said: "If I have to grind it out for the team, I’ll do that. If I have to hit from ball one, I can do that as well."
Varma also said batting in different positions and adjusting to overseas conditions affected his role. The India batter maintained that accelerating immediately after a top-order collapse would not always suit the team’s requirements.
Supplemental editorial cricket visual for Tilak Varma defends situational approach after strike-rate questions.
Varma linked that approach to his vice-captaincy responsibilities. He said the team management gives him specific plans, which can include batting until the end of an innings or changing his approach as the match situation develops.
Seven-match record shows contrasting innings
Varma’s seven innings ranged from 3 off 11 balls in the third T20I against England to an unbeaten 24 off 11 balls in the second match of that series. His fastest half-century in the listed matches was 53 off 25 balls in the fifth T20I against England at Southampton.
| Match | Runs | Balls | Strike rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ireland, 1st T20I | 19 | 21 | 90.48 |
| Ireland, 2nd T20I | 55 | 46 | 119.57 |
| England, 1st T20I | 13 | 13 | 100.00 |
| England, 2nd T20I | 24 not out | 11 | 218.18 |
| England, 3rd T20I | 3 | 11 | 27.27 |
| England, 4th T20I | 11 | 8 | 137.50 |
| England, 5th T20I | 53 | 25 | 212.00 |
Varma made the comments before India’s T20I series against Zimbabwe, with his role in the middle order and his responsibilities as vice-captain central to his explanation.
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