RP Singh Makes Big Prediction On Tilak Varma After India Youngster Impresses On Debut Vs West Indies In 1st T20I
New Delhi: Former Indian pacer and 2007 World T20 Cup winner Rudra Pratap Singh said that Tilak Varma can fill the void of a left-handed middle-order batter in India’s T20I side. Varma smashed a 22-ball 39 on debut against West Indies on Thursday, but his knock went in vain as the visitors lost the game by four runs to go 1-0 down in the five-match series.
The 20-year-old left-handed batter came out to bat when India was in a horrible condition at 28/2, having lost Ishan Kishan and Shubman Gill early in the chase of 150 runs at the Brian Lara Cricket Stadium.
Varma gave the world a glimpse of his stunning talents as the youngster smashed back-to-back sixes to get his international career off the mark. In the second ball, Varma smashed Alzarri Joseph for over deep mid-wicket before hitting another over the deep square leg with one leg off the ground.
The southpaw entertaining knock was studded with the help of two fours and three sixes.
How’s that for a confidence boost?
Tilak Varma rains boundaries on debut, including a maximum at wide long-offWatch ’s 200th T20I NOW on #JioCinema#SabJawaabMilenge #WIvIND #TeamIndia pic.twitter.com/wXtYXphYss
— JioCinema (@JioCinema) August 3, 2023
During a discussion on JioCinema, Singh was asked about his thoughts on Varma’s knock, to which he said, “It was an extremely good knock. I feel the future is hidden in him. We are all searching for a left-handed middle-order batter and Tilak Varma can be seen from that angle.”
“He opened his account with a six and then hit a second six as well. The best six was the third one that he hit over cover. It is not that easy to hit a six over extra cover,” added the cricketer-turned-analyst.
“I agree that he could have built a bigger partnership but he was the only batter to score more runs than the number of deliveries he faced. Everyone else was playing at a run-a-ball. Tilak Varma alone batted differently,” the former pacer said.
Varma has an impressive overall record in T20 cricket. The Hyderabad batter has so far scored 1457 runs in 48 games at an average of 37.35 and a strike rate of 143.26. Earlier, India managed to restrict West Indies to 149/6 in the first T20I.
During the run-chase Hardik Pandya-led side didn’t get off to a flier as India lost both their openers Shubman Gill (3) and Ishan Kishan (6) cheaply. World no.1 T20I batter Suryakumar Yadav added 21 runs but India was in all sorts of trouble once Varma and captain Hardik Pandya went back to the hut.