Tilak Varma who smashed a century against South Africa in the 3rd T20I at the Centurion said that it was he who had gone to skipper Suryakumar Yadav and asked to bat at No.3 instead of his regular position at No.4.
“In Gqeberha, he (Tilak) came to my room and said, ‘Give me the opportunity to bat at No. 3. Let me express myself’,” Surya said.
Varma confirmed this and also revealed the reason behind his celebration where he pointed towards the dug-out and blew a flying kiss.
https://twitter.com/JioCinema/status/1856742112244490313
“It was for ‘SKY’, our skipper because he gave me a chance to bat at number three. I love batting at number three, but in last two matches, I played at number four. Last night he came to my room and said that ‘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 T20 Internationals,” he said after the match.
“The team backed us even when we flopped. They told us to play the brand of cricket 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),” he added.
Varma got to the three-figure mark — his maiden T20I ton — in the 19th over with a gorgeous boundary. By this stage he had already blasted eight fours and six maximums for India. Ultimately he would depart for 107 runs, adding another six to his maximums’ list.
The century and Abhsihek’s Sharma’s half century went a long way in securing India’s win which even Marco Jansen’s blistering 17-ball 54 could not change.
Stay updated with the latest sports news across Cricket, Football, Chess, and more. Catch all the action with real-time live cricket score updates and in-depth coverage of ongoing matches.
