After a lacklustre performance with the bat in India’s second T20I against South Africa, someone needed to step up, and it was Tilak Varma who answered the call in the third game. The 22-year-old played an exceptional knock, scoring an unbeaten 107 off 56 balls. His innings included eight fours and seven sixes, displaying his ability to dominate the opposition with power and flair. Varma’s match-winning performance was crucial as India posted a challenging total of 219/6.

Suryakumar Yadav, India’s T20I captain, was all praise for Varma’s efforts and shared an interesting story behind his promotion to the No. 3 position in the batting order. According to Suryakumar, before the third T20I, Tilak came to his hotel room and requested to bat at No. 3, expressing his desire to prove himself in that role.

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Suryakumar Yadav encouraged him to go out and play freely, and Varma certainly delivered on that promise with his match-winning knock. “What more can I say about Tilak Varma? He came to my room at Gqeberha and said, ‘Give me a chance at No. 3, I want to do well,'” Suryakumar Yadav recalled, confirming that Varma will continue to bat at that position for now.

Tilak Varma was quick to credit his captain for the decision and spoke about his approach to batting. “All credit goes to captain Suryakumar Yadav. Before the game, he said that I am capable of batting at No.3, and he would shift to No. 4. I just wanted to express myself and back my basics,” Tilak Varma said after his remarkable performance.

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With the departure of Virat Kohli from T20I cricket following the World Cup, and Rishabh Pant focused on the Australia tour, Varma has now found a crucial role for himself in the Indian middle order, alongside players like Suryakumar Yadav, Abhishek Sharma, and Ruturaj Gaikwad, who have also been tested in the No. 3 spot.