When Shubman Gill and Co. were going through the hard yards in the recent Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, not too far away was Tilak Varma having his first experience of cricket in England.
The 22-year-old, after Mumbai Indians’ Qualifier II loss against Punjab Kings in this year’s IPL, made a productive utilisation of the time by joining Hampshire. The left-hander featured in four County Championship (Division I) and three One-Day Cup games to get a decent feel of the English conditions.
Back in India on Tuesday, Tilak, a regular in the T20I squad, went straightaway to the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru to get ready for the assignments ahead. Whether Tilak will be able to play in the Duleep Trophy, despite being named South Zone captain, appears a tad uncertain at present.
With South Zone straightaway slated to play the Duleep semi-final from September 4-7, the dates are clashing with India's Asia Cup preparations. India begin their campaign in the continental showpiece on September 10 in Dubai against the UAE, and given Tilak's numbers from his 25 T20I appearances so far, he's set to be an automatic choice in the XI.
Speaking of the Asia Cup, Tilak exercised caution even though India are much better placed in terms of overall quality than the other teams in the competition. “T20 is a format where skill doesn’t have the ultimate word. The entire game can change in just a matter of an over or two. Such is the format.
“So, there’s absolutely no room for complacency. Yes, we have been doing well in T20s, but we cannot take any opposition for granted,” Tilak, who averages 49.93 and has a strike rate of 155.07 in T20Is with two centuries, told The Telegraph.
The Hyderabad-based batsman, however, doesn’t wish to read much into India’s game against Pakistan. “As I said, no team can be taken lightly in this format. But for us, it’s about winning every game, not just beating one opposition,” Tilak stated.
On the hype surrounding this clash despite Pakistan’s inability to even compete against India in the last two years, Tilak replied: “It's just another game for us. As for all the outside noise, they remain outside."
The bonhomie Tilak shares with Suryakumar Yadav isn't unknown, and he's certainly waiting to meet and speak to the India T20I captain as they assemble for the Asia Cup.
Backfoot play
For Hampshire, Tilak began with a 100 on his county debut against Essex in Chelmsford before scoring another ton (112) versus Nottinghamshire in Southampton, aggregating 358 runs in six innings. “I wanted to utilise the free time after the IPL,” said Tilak, reasonably pleased with his county stint.
“I had practised playing on the backfoot with my coach (Salaam Bayash in Hyderabad) before leaving for Hampshire duties. In England, driving on the front foot isn’t always too easy because of the swing and seam movement. So, I always had to keep that in mind going into those county games.
"I kept telling myself about the need to focus more on the backfoot drives if I had to do well in the red-ball matches. I feel I did it reasonably well.”
Test aspirations
Having also played four ODIs alongside his T20I experience, Tilak is counted as one of India’s white-ball specialists at present. However, with the home season approaching, he also has his eye on India's Test series against the West Indies and South Africa.
Tilak’s impressive T20 average aside, his first-class numbers — seven centuries and an average of 52.06 from 22 games — look even better.
“It’s unfortunate that I had to make my India debut through a white-ball game (T20I versus the Windies two years ago). Red-ball cricket is my favourite, and I had dreamt that a Test match would mark my international debut.
“For sure, I’ll be putting in all efforts to make the Test squad, and it’ll be great if I can get a Test cap very soon. For that, though, making use of the opportunities ahead will be key,” he emphasised.