India’s recent T20I debacle due to overwork in Asia, says Tilak Varma

Indian vice-captain Tilak Varma has commented on the team’s recent slump in T20I cricket. The T20 World Cup champions failed to win a single match on their tour of the UK, losing each match in two separate series.

India were shut out 2-0 by Ireland in Dublin before suffering a 4-0 defeat to Harry Brook’s England. It was a cruel twist of fate for a side that boasts several proven match-winners. Not only did India look underprepared, but the think tank also seemed to be running out of ideas.

Ahead of India’s three-match T20I series against Zimbabwe, Tilak claimed that the team’s poor run was largely due to lack of exposure to overseas conditions.

“Honestly, if you see, Shreyas bhai is leading a successful team right now. So of course there will be responsibilities and expectations. At the same time, conditions were different in Ireland. If you look at the last two years, we have played more matches in Asia,” Tilak said ahead of the series.

“And after two years we came straight to overseas conditions, that too against a good side. England is a very good side. We all saw how they played in the T20 World Cup semi-finals. So of course it will be challenging to play in good conditions against a good side,” he added.

However, the argument does not quite fit. Before the 2026 FIFA T20 World Cup, India played an overseas T20I series in South Africa (November 2024) and Australia (October 2025). In preparation for the World Cup, they also hosted South Africa and New Zealand at home.

But it is true that this was the first time this group had traveled to England for a T20I series since 2022.

TILAK VARMA UNDER CRITICISM

The Indian vice-captain came under scrutiny for his modest returns with the bat during the tours of Ireland and England. However, it is worth noting that Tilak was moved from his preferred position of No. 3 and asked to bat at No. 5 or No. 6, roles that do not naturally suit his game.

Tilak explained that his subdued output was more a result of adapting to the demands of the team than playing his natural attacking game. With India’s top order repeatedly collapsing in Ireland and England, he felt it was his responsibility to stabilize the innings rather than trying to attack from the start.

“In this game, you have to bat in different places, and especially in these conditions, it’s not easy. At the same time, I always say that I do what is required for the team. If I have to play waiting for the team, then I will play accordingly. If I have to hit, then I will hit and play.

“So at that time, in team terms, if you look at it, from Ireland to England, you’ve always got four or five wickets in the power play. So to go there and bat and get out, it doesn’t make a lot of sense.”

While admitting that his instinct is always to attack from the first ball, Tilak said the added responsibility of the vice-captain’s position meant he had to make smarter decisions for the benefit of the team.

“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’s a lot of responsibility.

“When you have vice-captain attached to your name, the team had to give it to me after due consideration. So I want to take the same responsibility that the management gives me, so I play accordingly,” Tilak said.

ZIMBABWE VS INDIA

India will now look to put their disappointing tour behind them when they take on Zimbabwe in the three-match T20I series. With India fielding an almost full squad this time around, Tilak expects the hosts to put up a stiff challenge and recalls how Zimbabwe stunned a young Indian side to win the opening match of last year’s series.

“Zimbabwe are a very good team as well. They are a very competitive team. And you see last year when we started the series they won the first game. We expect them to come at us hard.”

Tilak also believes that India’s recent experience of playing in similar conditions in Ireland and England could work in their favour.

“As you can see, the goals were good last time. So I spoke to them because when we played in Zimbabwe last year, our junior came on. So there are almost a lot of people from that team still here at that time.

“So I spoke to them (Vaibhav Sooryavanshi) about how the wicket would behave. Again, we were playing two series at the same time, Ireland and England. So if you look at the ground, the dimensions are very big, it’s windy and the conditions are cold. It would be an advantage to play here.”

India play Zimbabwe in a 3-match T20I series. The first match of the tour starts on Thursday 23rd July.

– The end

Issued by:

Kingshuk Kusari

Published on:

21 Jul 2026 20:16 IST