‘He is showing that he is a big-match player’: Rohit Sharma on Tilak Varma | Cricket News
In just a few short years, Tilak Varma has established himself as an important player in the India T20I setup with the Men in Blue sweating over his fitness ahead of the T20 World Cup in February. Rohit Sharma, who was Tilak’s captain in the Mumbai Indians as well as the national team, said that when he met Varma in the MI set up, he could sense there was something different about him.
“The first time Tilak Varma came into our Mumbai Indians setup, I could sense that there was something different about him. What attracted me was his constant conversation that came from a very innocent place, but it made a lot of sense. Whenever he spoke to me, he would just say, ‘I’ll do it. Please send me up the order, I’ll do the job.’ I’m talking about the 2022 and 2023 seasons, when I was captain. He has that mindset and attitude, which is superb, and he is mad about cricket<‘ Rohit said on JioHotstar’s ‘Captain Rohit Sharma’s Roadmap for T20 World Cup’ show.
While Tilak had played a fair few knocks in India colours, his real coming out party was in the Asia Cup final against Pakan last year when he slammed an unbeaten 69 runs to help his team win the trophy. Rohit also made a special mention about that innings, reflecting on the 23-year-old’s mindset.
“And most importantly, his temperament, that knock in the Asia Cup against Pakan was unbelievable. So much pressure, wickets falling at the other end, so much noise in the stadium, a tournament final no less. I know it’s still early days, but he is showing that he is a big-match player. Whenever the team is in trouble, not just once, he has gotten them out of trouble a few times now,” Rohit said.
Varma, who suffered an abdomen injury while playing the Vijay Hazare trophy, hasn’t taken part in the ongoing India vs New Zealand series and is now slated to join the team only before India’s warm-up match for the 2026 T20 World Cup. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said that Varma is making steady progress with his rehabilitation at the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.
