"It was for SKY": Tilak Varma after match-winning century

Tilak Varma is ecstatic after scoring a century against SA in Centurion on Wednesday. Pic/Getty Images

Tilak Varma did not want to become a source of chagrin for his skipper Suryakumar Yadav after requesting him for the No. 3 slot in the batting order in the third T20I against South Africa. And he didn't. Varma had batted at No. 4 in Durban and Gqueberha, scoring 33 and 20. Surya, who himself batted at No. 3, after giving it a thought, obliged his young teammate.

Tilak's initial request

"In Gqeberha, he [Tilak] came to my room and said, ‘Give me the opportunity to bat at No. 3. Let me express myself'," said Suryakumar. Now it was for Varma to make the most of the opportunity and responded with a match-winning century. After reaching his 51-ball-century, second fifty coming in just 19 balls, Varma pointed towards the dug-out and blew a flying kiss to acknowledge his captain.

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Suryakumar Yadav

"It was for SKY, our skipper because he gave me a chance to bat at No. 3," Varma told reporters after India's 11-run win on Wednesday night. "I love batting at No. 3, but in the last two matches, I played at No. 4. Last night [Tuesday], he came to my room and said, ‘You will bat at No. 3'. He told me it's a good opportunity, go and express yourself. "I told him, ‘You have given me an opportunity, I will show you on the ground'," said the second youngest Indian centurion in T20 Internationals.

Making it count

His innings of 107 off 56 balls had seven sixes apart from eight fours including a straight and a flicked six off the opposition's fastest bowler and his former Mumbai Indians teammate Gerald Coetzee. Varma added 107 runs with another youngster Abhishek Sharma, who scored a half-century after a string of failures. "The team backed us even when we flopped. They told us to play the brand of cricket the Indian team is known for and the skipper and the management [interim head coach VVS Laxman] said, "Bindaas khelna. Agar wicket gire tab bhi [play freely even if you lose a wicket]."

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