Tilak Varma said that the Indian team has adopted a flexible batting approach in T20Is to suit the demands of different situations. On 11 December, India promoted Axar Patel to No.3, but he managed a run-a-ball 21 as the hosts lost the second match by 51 runs in Mullanpur, enabled South Africa to level the five-match series 1-1.
Chasing a daunting target of 214, India were bowled out for 162 in 19.1 overs. Head coach Gautam Gambhir was subsequently criticized for disrupting the batting order with what were considered unnecessary changes.
India will look to regain the lead when the third T20I is played in Dharamsala on Sunday. Tilak, who hit a 34-ball 62 in the losing cause on Thursday, endorsed Gambhir’s approach, saying that apart from the openers, the rest of the batting order, including himself, would remain flexible.
“Absolutely, everyone is flexible except the openers. I am ready to bat at No. 3, 4, 5 or 6 wherever the team wants me. Everyone knows that the batting order is flexible,” Tilak said in the pre-match press conference.
READY TO BAT ANYWHERE
Tilak also supported the promotion of Axar in Mullanpurpointing out that the left-hander scored a 31-ball 47 after advancing to No. 5 in last year’s Men’s Under-20 World Cup final against South Africa in Bridgetown, Barbados. He added that the non-openers go out with the understanding that they may have to bat at any position depending on the situation.
“It depends on the situation. You have already seen it with Axar Patel in the World Cup – he went up the order and did well. One-off games happen. At that time, whatever is best for the team, everyone keeps the team first. Nobody thinks about individual positions. I said I am ready to bat anywhere for the team and all the players think the same way,” added Tilak.
India lost their only T20I against the Proteas in Dharamsala in 2015, but hold a 2–1 overall record at the venue, having beaten Sri Lanka twice in 2022. Their next match against South Africa in 2019 was cancelled.
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Issued by:
sabyasachi chowdhury
Published on:
December 13, 2025
