Following his match-winning knock during the second T20I against England, India batter Tilak Varma heaped praise on skipper Suryakumar Yadav’s leadership, pointing out how well he bonds with every player and gives them so much time. The Suryakumar-led India continued its winning ways in T20Is, beating England by two wickets in a thriller at Chepauk Stadium on Saturday, securing a 2-0 series lead in the five-match affair by chasing down 166 runs.
Speaking on Star Sports’ Cricket Live show, Tilak said, “I can only say one thing, not just for me. We both play together in the IPL (Indian Premier League for Mumbai Indians) as well. But even for any new player, he maintains the bond so well with every player. On the field, off the field too. He gives so much time to all the players. It feels great when someone like Suryakumar Yadav, the captain of India, is with us. Even if any new kid joins the team, it doesn’t feel like it with him.”
“He bonds so well with everyone. All that makes a lot of difference on the field. Especially when you see the batting and in the field, he is very friendly with everyone. You can understand where to go, in the field, and you have to understand a few things. All that becomes easy because he spends so much time with us. So, actually, not just for me but for the rest of the team, it’s very beneficial,” he added.
Tilak lauded the skipper for changing his career by giving him the number three spot to bat.
“As for this series, there is a left-right combination going on, so wherever I am needed, I am there. The flexibility is good, and I am adapting well to it. I am always ready,” he concluded.
As for the match, India won the toss and elected to bat first. Barring skipper Jos Buttler (45 off 30 balls, with two fours and three sixes), the England top order once again struggled against spin. A couple of useful cameos from Brydon Carse (31 off 17 balls, with a four and three sixes) and wicketkeeper-batter Jamie Smith (22 off 12 balls, with a four and two sixes) took England to 165/9 in their 20 overs.
Axar Patel (2/32) and Varun Chakravarthy (2/38) caused England the most trouble.
In the run chase, India suffered setbacks in the first half, as Abhishek Sharma (12), Sanju Samson (4), skipper Suryakumar Yadav (12), Dhruv Jurel (4), and Hardik Pandya (7) perished one by one. Tilak got assistance from Washington Sundar (26 off 19 balls, with three fours and a six), in a 38-run partnership that helped India cross the 100-run mark from a poor situation of 78/5. After Sundar and Axar (2) perished in quick succession, with 40 runs left, Tilak had partnerships with Arshdeep Singh (4) and Ravi Bishnoi (9*) that helped India secure a win with two wickets and four balls to spare.
Carse’s brilliant spell of 3/29 and a strong spell of 1/14 by spinner Adil Rashid went in vain as India took a 2-0 lead in the five-match series.
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