It is not known if Hardik Pandya’s pep talk during the India cap presentation in the team huddle before the match motivated debutant Tilak Varma, but the youngster certainly made an impact in the opening T20I in Tarouba, Trinidad, on Thursday.
To begin his run-scoring in international cricket with two consecutive sixes is not something every cricketer can achieve but Varma looks destined for bigger things. His Mumbai Indians teammate Suryakumar Yadav, who himself had hit the first ball in an India shirt for a six, could only watch in awe at the non-striker’s end once Varma launched into Alzarri Joseph.
Former India captain and head coach Ravi Shastri had heaped praise on Varma during the IPL in May. “This guy is an India player and I would be very surprised if he does not play T20 cricket for India in the next six months or eight months. He has got the maturity, he has got the flare. He will make a world of difference to the Indian middle order,” Shastri had said.
On Thursday, Pandya had echoed similar sentiments to dismiss any fears Varma, 20, may have harboured. “This is what dreams are made of. Mehanat karke yahan par aaya hai. Kuch alag nahi karna hai. Same cheez yahin par karega, life mein aur aage jayega (You have reached this stage after putting in a lot of effort. You need not do something different... Just follow the same process here and you will go places in life),” was Pandya’s message.
Varma didn’t disappoint. He couldn’t score off the first ball but the second delivery he faced was full and outside off. The left-hander quickly judged the length and clamped it over mid-wicket for a six.
He didn’t stop there. The next one was a bit shorter but Varma pulled it hard over the same region giving little chance to the fielders inside the circle. What really was impressive was the bat swing and how quickly he positioned himself for the stroke inside the crease.
Varma hit two boundaries and another six during his 39 off 22 balls but what stood out was his composure and ability to easily adjust to the tricky conditions. The transition from franchise cricket to the international level seems to have started without a hitch and he seemed at ease. He had the best strike rate (177.27) of the three batters who passed 30 in the match, was in control of the circumstances and his footwork was exemplary.
Pandya didn’t forget to praise Varma’s efforts even in defeat. “Not a bad way to start off your international career with a couple of sixes. There’s confidence and fearlessness that they (also Mukesh Kumar) have. They are going to do wonders for India,” said the captain.
Not just his batting, Varma was electrifying on the field too. He covered unbelievable ground before putting in a brilliantly-timed dive to dismiss Johnson Charles off Kuldeep Yadav early in the innings.
Varma spoke about his dream of winning the World Cup one day. “From childhood, it has been my goal to win India the World Cup. In my mind, I always think about ways how to win the World Cup. I keep visualising every day that I will go and bat at this number and win the World Cup,” he said.
“Now that I’ve got the India jersey... it (the dream) has come true, so I feel that moment (of winning World Cup) will also come soon. This is a great feeling, I can’t express it, everyone asks me, but I am just feeling really happy and proud. So taking it step by step, let’s see how it happens.”
The next T20 World Cup is in the West Indies and USnext year.
Brevis support
Tilak received an unexpected surprise in the form of a congratulatory video message from his Mumbai Indians teammate Dewald Brevis.
“Hey brother, I hope you are very excited. I don’t know If I am more excited than you, but I just want to say from my side and from the Brevis family, congratulations on your debut. It’s such a great moment for you and your family. I can just imagine how happy your parents must be,” he said.
“It’s great to see you out there, living your dream out. Those shots on the second and third ball gave me goosebumps... Cheers brother,” Brevis said in the video.
