"He came to my room at Gqeberha and said give me a chance at No. 3" - Suryakumar shares Tilak Varma's request before the 3rd IND vs SA 2024 T20I
Team India T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav said that Tilak Varma's promotion in the batting order transpired because of a request laid down by the youngster after the loss in the second T20I in Gqeberha. The left-handed batter got a couple of starts in the series but was having trouble converting them while batting at No. 4.
Tilak has batted in several positions in his short international career already. During his impressive maiden series against the West Indies, he primarily batted at No. 4, with a solitary unbeaten five-ball outing at No. 3. He availed a chance in the advanced position during the tour of Ireland and the 2023 Asian Games campaign.
However, he also had to bat in the lower middle order on select occasions. During the last tour of South Africa in 2023, Tilak Varma batted at No. 3 and recorded his second golden duck in that position. Despite a string of impactful cameos, there was nothing of note in the youngster's T20I exploits.
"What more can I say about Tilak Varma? He (Tilak) came to my room at Gqeberha and said give me a chance at No. 3, I want to do well and I said go out there and express yourself. He asked for it and he delivered. Very happy for him and his family. Yes, he will bat at No.3 for now," Suryakumar Yadav said during the post-match presentation after India's 11-run win in the third T20I (via the Hindustan Times).
Virat Kohli was Team India's long-term No. 3, while Rishabh Pant occupied the position for the 2024 T20 World Cup. Now with Kohli retired from T20Is, and Pant occupied in the longest format, India had to come up with different measures to fill the void in recent times.
The likes of Ruturaj Gaikwad, Abhishek Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, and Sanju Samson have all played at No. 3 in the batting order since the World Cup.
"Before the game, he said that I am capable of batting at No. 3 and he will shift to No. 4" - Tilak Varma on Suryakumar Yadav
Tilak Varma made the most of the opportunity by slamming a sublime ton after walking into bat inside the first over. He was involved in a sparkling partnership with Abhishek Sharma for the second wicket, where both the left-handed batters wreaked havoc in the powerplay.
After Abhishek's dismissal in the ninth over, the settled Tilak held one end and kept the scoreboard ticking while the other batters struggled to have a say from the word go. He finished with an unbeaten 107 runs off 56 deliveries as India put up 219-6 on the board after being put into bat.
"All credit goes to captain Suryakumar Yadav. Before the game he said that I am capable of batting at No.3 and he will shift to No 4. I just wanted to express myself and back my basics," Tilak Varma said during the post-match presentation via Hindustan Times.
The fourth and final T20I of the series is scheduled to take place in Johannesburg on Friday, November 15. The Men in Blue have a 2-1 lead in the series.