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NEW DELHI: Young batter Tilak Varma on Wednesday shared the empowering message from the team management for the South Africa T20I series: ‘Bindaas khelna agar wicket gire tab bhi’ (Play freely even if you lose a wicket).
Varma, who was promoted to No. 3 in batting order, made the most of the opportunity as he guided his team home with a match-winning century in the third T20I in Centurion.
India lead the four-match series 2-1 with the fourth and final match scheduled for Friday.
Varma had batted at number four in Durban and Gqueberha, scoring 33 and 20 respectively, while the skipper Suryakumar Yadav batted at No. 3 position.
“In Gqeberha, he (Tilak) came to my room and said, ‘Give me the opportunity to bat at No. 3. Let me express myself’,” said Surya.
And Varma justified his skipper’s faith with a 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.
“It was for ‘SKY’, our skipper because he gave me a chance to bat at number three,” Varma said after India’s 11-run win.
“I love batting at number three, but in the last two matches, I played at number four. Last night he came to my room and said ‘You will bat No. 3’ and he said 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 T20Is.
Varma, who played a knock of 107 off 56 balls had seven sixes apart from eight fours, added crucial 107 runs with 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).”
This guidance reflects the team’s intent to maintain an aggressive approach regardless of early setbacks. Varma explained that the management wants players to trust their instincts, emphasizing an all-out positive mindset.
Such encouragement aims to instill confidence in the younger players, allowing them to play their natural game without fear of failure.
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