Tilak Varma after a dismissal in England | Source: AFP
Tilak Varma is set to continue as India’s vice-captain for the upcoming three-match T20I series in Zimbabwe. The cricketer, led by newly-appointed skipper Shreyas Iyer, recently toured England and Ireland to play a series of seven T20I matches.
Unfortunately for Tilak and for Indian fans, the ‘Men in Blue’ suffered back-to-back series whitewashes in both trips to dramatically end their three-year unbeaten series streak.
With both Shreyas and Tilak aiming to notch up their first win as India’s new captain and vice-captain, the latter of the two cricketers recently responded to the endless strike rate concerns levied against him by fans and cricket experts.
Tilak Varma fires back at ‘strike rate concerns’
Tilak Varma has been receiving much criticism for his strike rate following India’s twin T20I series defeats in Ireland and England. While speaking with the reporters ahead of India’s series-opening first T20I against Zimbabwe, the cricketer said that he bats according to the situation and requirement of the team.
Varma said “you have to bat in different places, and especially in such conditions, it's not easy. At the same time, I always say that I do whatever is required for the team. If I have to grind it out and play for the team, I do. If I have to hit from ball number one, then I do that. So at that time, in the conditions of the team, if you look at it, from Ireland to England, you always had four to five wickets falling inside the powerplay or the first 10 overs.”
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The cricketer also added that as vice-captain, he needs to analyse the team’s conditions before either going berserk or preserving wickets in the middle.
Tilak Varma stated “So going there and then getting out in trying to accelerate, it doesn't make sense. So that's what I always have in my mind, that I can go and hit the first ball. But at the same time, I'm playing for the country, so there are a lot of responsibilities. So what are the conditions of the team? If I have to play for the team till the end, our team's plans keep changing. When you are the vice-captain, the team gives you something after thinking about it. So I want to take the same responsibilities that the management gives me, so I'm playing according to that.”
Is strike rate criticism against Tilak Varma justified?
Just earlier this year, Tilak Varma fired some rapid cameos during India’s historic 2026 ICC T20 World Cup win at home. The cricketer aggregated 207 runs in nine innings of the tournament at a strike rate of 154.47.
While Varma failed to go big in his first series as India’s vice-captain during the Ireland tour with a dismal strike rate of 110.44, he scored a fighting 55 off 46 balls after India’s top-order got wrecked at 35-4 in Belfast decider.
In the series against England, the 23-year-old listed 104 runs in five innings at an average of 26 and with a strike rate of 152.94. In the decider played out in Southampton, the elegant left-hander blasted 53 runs off just 25 deliveries with three boundaries and four sixes.
All in all, Tilak Varma’s recent performances suggest that the criticism surrounding his strike rate is largely context-driven, with the left-hander adapting his approach to the team's needs rather than batting with an eye on personal numbers.
India to play T20I series in Zimbabwe
On a trail of T20I series defeats in Ireland and England, the Indian cricket team will now face hosts Zimbabwe in a fresh three-match rubber. The matches will be played between July 23 and July 26 at the Harare Sports Club in Harare.
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