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Indian batter Tilak Varma defended his approach during India's tours of Ireland and England, saying his strike rate was shaped by match situations rather than personal preference.
He stressed that his priority is always the team's needs, whether that means attacking from the first ball or anchoring the innings. With India frequently losing four or five wickets inside the first 10 overs, during both tours Tilak emphasised it made little sense to play recklessly. Varma added that he embraces the responsibilities entrusted to him by the team management and adapts his batting accordingly to ensure the side's plans are executed. The 23-year-old left-hander did manage to score some runs, but he faced criticism for not adapting quickly enough to the match situation and for slowing down the team's momentum. "In this game, you have to bat in different places, and especially in such conditions, it's not easy. At the same time, I always say that I do whatever is required for the team. If I have to grind it out and play for the team, I do. If I have to hit from ball number one, then I do that. So at that time, in the conditions of the team, if you look at it, from Ireland to England, you always had four to five wickets falling inside the powerplay or the first 10 overs," Tilak told reporters in the pre-match press conference. "So going there and then getting out in trying to accelerate, it doesn't make sense. So that's what I always have in my mind, that I can go and hit the first ball. But at the same time, I'm playing for the country, so there are a lot of responsibilities. So what are the conditions of the team? If I have to play for the team till the end, our team's plans keep changing. When you are the vice-captain, the team gives you something after thinking about it. So I want to take the same responsibilities that the management gives me, so I'm playing according to that," he added. The left-handed batter scored two fifties during the Ireland and England tour, one against the Men in Green and one against the Three Lions. In the seven T20 matches he played, Varma returned with 178 runs, with his highest score of 55 coming in the 2nd T20I against Ireland in Belfast. India, under Shreyas Iyer's captaincy, suffered a 2-0 T20I series defeat against Ireland before enduring a 4-0 loss to England. The Men in Blue will now look to bounce back when they face Zimbabwe in a three-match T20I series, beginning July 23. (ANI)
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