Tilak Varma wants India to play the aggressive brand of cricket in the T20 World Cup 2026 even if they lose early wickets in the powerplay. The left-handed batter said that the intensity and intent would put “fear in opposition bowlers”.
India’s top-order bounced back to form as they powered India to a record score of 256 in a must-win Super Eight match against Zimbabwe on Thursday.
“We are just looking for this. We are just looking as an individual…I would not say as an individual – we are looking for the runs (as a team). We also discussed that whatever the situation is if we got out in powerplay like three or four wickets, we bat with the same rhythm,” Tilak said in the post-match press conference.
Openers Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma gave India a fluent start in the powerplay and laid the foundation for a big total. Samson replaced Rinku Singh for the Zimbabwe game and scored 24 off 15 balls while Abhishek regained his form back with a 30-ball 55.
“It’s important when openers give good start, it also follows the same confidence to the number three, four and five (batters). So, that’s what Sanju started brilliantly. So, that’s what we discussed and we want to see the fear in opposition bowlers that these guys (Indian batters) are ready to hit each and every ball,” Tilak added.
Though India maintained an unbeaten record in the group stage but the top-order batters were not firing, and the loss against South Africa in the Super Eights was a wake up call. Tilak said ahead of the must-win match against Zimbabwe, the players watched videos of earlier games where we had success as a T20 unit.
“As we discussed just before the game, we’ll go with a good mindset. We have seen our past one year of T20 cricket, how we played.
“So, it was after seeing that video everyone got our confidence and that’s what we discussed as a team like we just enjoy and put the smile on,” he said.
Tilak also lauded head coach Gautam Gambhir for encouraging the team to play the brand of cricket they played since last year.
“Gautam sir also said whatever the situation, just remember the brand of cricket we played since last year and also in the New Zealand and South Africa series (at home). So, whatever the situation, as individuals, just go out there and smile and enjoy the game,” he said.
Tilak continued and said that mindset in cricket is very important and that small change coming into the T20 World Cup affected the outcome of results.
“Ahmedabad’s wicket and Delhi’s wicket was also good. But this is a funny game, so mindset is very important. I think we had a mindset that if a wicket falls, then we will take some time (to play big shots). We played the same team in the last series and before that also,” he said.
“We were enjoying at that time, whatever pressure used to be, was on the opposite bowler. If the wicket fell, we would hit six in the next ball. So, we had a little mindset. We were going from 1-2 (runs) to four and six. We discussed that if the first ball is in range – then we will hit from the first ball.
“So in that, the bowler starts thinking that he will get hit. So, there were a lot of changes in that (mindset). We felt very good as a team, and we will continue to bring this intensity forward,” Tilak explained.
