"Been working with Rahul sir since my U-19 World Cup days" - Tilak Varma credits Rahul Dravid for impressive start to international career
Mumbai Indians batter Tilak Varma credited head coach Rahul Dravid for calming his nerves ahead of his India debut in the first T20I against the West Indies at Trinidad.
Despite a dismal batting performance by the Men in Blue in the opening two games, the 20-year-old has been the shining light in the dark tunnel. Tilak struck his second and third ball on debut for a maximum and scored a counterattacking 39 off 22 deliveries in the opening T20I.
The southpaw followed that up with his maiden half-century in the second game, scoring 51 off 41 deliveries to bail the side out of trouble.
Speaking to reporters after the second T20I, Tilak credited the head coach Rahul Dravid and skipper Hardik Pandya for their pep talk ahead of his debut.
"I have been working with Rahul sir since my U-19 World Cup days. He always tells us to follow the basics and spend more time on the wicket. Hardik bhai was also telling me the same. He told me that you have done well in the domestic and the IPL, follow your basics and enjoy your game," he said.
The Hyderabad-born cricketer had a sparkling IPL season, scoring 343 runs in 11 games at an average of 42.88 and a 164.11 strike rate for the Mumbai Indians. This followed an impressive debut season where Tilak Varma scored 397 runs in 14 games at an average of 36.10.
Overall, the youngster boasts sensational numbers in T20s and List-A cricket, with averages of 37.70 and 56.18, respectively.
"Credit goes to Pooran, the way he batted" - Tilak Varma
Tilak Varma praised fellow left-hander Nicholas Pooran for his match-winning knock in the second T20I that helped West Indies capture a 2-0 series lead. On a tricky Guyana surface, the 27-year-old put his foot on the accelerator immediately, despite coming in at 2/2 in the first over of the run-chase.
Pooran finished with 67 off only 40 balls, including six fours and four maximums to take the hosts within touching distance of victory. Despite a lower middle-order collapse, the Men from the Caribbean completed the task with two wickets and seven balls to spare.
"Credit goes to Pooran, the way he batted. He put the pressure on the bowlers straightaway. We knew that we needed one wicket to turn things around because it was not going to be easy for a new batter," said Tilak Varma.
Varma also admitted that despite the tacky nature of the surface, his side may have been a few runs short of a par score.
"Wicket was bit on the slower side and it was double paced as well. We thought anything between 150-160 will be a good score. I guess at the end we were 10 runs short," he added.
The defeat has India Blue in jeopardy of their first series defeat against the West Indies in T20Is since 2017. Guyana will remain the venue for the must-win third T20I for Team India on Tuesday, August 8.