20 April,2023 07:35 AM IST | Hyderabad | N Jagannath Das
Tilak Varma pulls one during his 17-ball 37 against SRH on Tuesday. Pic/AFP
Mumbai Indians (MI) skipper Rohit Sharma made a big statement on Tilak Varma - the new rising star - after his team's 14-run win over Sunrisers Hyderabad, their third successive victory, on Tuesday.
Impressed with his batting skills and temperament, Rohit said that he likes the 20-year-old batter's approach. "He [Verma] is not afraid. He is not playing the bowler, he is playing the ball," said Rohit. Ever since he made his debut for MI last season, the Hyderabad batter's stocks have been on the rise, prompting many pundits to predict a bright future for him.
On Tuesday, Varma struck a 17-ball 34 in a crucial stand with Player of the Match Cameron Green in front of his home crowd, at an impressive strike rate of 217.65. "I'm comfortable playing in any situation. I have worked on my game on the ground, accounting for all possible situations. I always tell the [team] management that I'm confident of batting anywhere, in any situation. So, they are also confident and hence send me out to bat," Varma said at the post-match press conference.
Also Read: SRH vs MI: Tilak Varma blitzkrieg propel Mumbai Indians to 192 at Uppal
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The imposing left-hander, who hammered three fours and four sixes, said that he wanted to avoid the spinners and wait for the fast bowlers. "Washy [Washington Sundar] and Mayu [Mayank Markande] were bowling well. I thought about playing them before I could charge on against the fast bowlers. I didn't want to miss an over as we have a long batting line-up. So, I charged my tank and went the way I wanted, so I am happy," he added.
Exhibiting maturity as a player, Varma explained the difference between the last season and the current one. "The first season [2022], I was a youngster, but since then, I've always had the team back me. They don't see me as a youngster or a newcomer to the team. This has helped me mature as a player. So it has been pretty easy for me to manage, unlike the first year," said Varma.
