‘Conditions were tough’: Tilak Varma reveals what went wrong in India, Ireland and England

Indian T20I vice-captain Tilak Varma India’s T20I vice-captain Tilak Varma reflected on the challenges that contributed to the disappointing T20I series defeats against Ireland and England, insisting the team remains focused on learning from the setbacks and regaining momentum.The reigning T20 World Cup champions endured a forgettable tour of the British Isles in July 2026, managing just one win in the entire 10-match trip and suffering back-to-back bilateral series defeats to Ireland and England. India also failed to register a single win in the T20I leg of the tour.

“The English conditions were a big challenge”

Ahead of India’s upcoming T20I series against Zimbabwe, Tilak admitted that adapting to overseas conditions after playing mostly in Asia for the past two years has proved a big challenge. He also backed captain Shreyas Iyer and emphasized the importance of staying calm under pressure and maintaining a positive environment in the team.“Honestly, Shreyas Iyer is leading a championship team, so of course there is always responsibility. At the same time, Ireland and England offered completely different conditions. The last two years we have mostly played in Asia and then suddenly we had to compete in overseas conditions against a very strong England team, who we had already seen in the semi-finals of the World Cup.” in a video shared by BCCI on X.

“Results will come and go, we have to stay positive”

The left-handed batsman stressed that the team has learned valuable lessons from the tour and is determined to bounce back by creating the right atmosphere in the dressing room.“In these situations, you have to stay calm under pressure and create positive energy in the team. That’s our mindset. Results will rise and fall, but what’s important is how we build a good environment and support each individual. It’s just a matter of one game or one series. The last series was a good learning experience and now we want to implement those learnings and bring back the momentum,” he added.

India’s tour of Zimbabwe

MatchDateTime (IST)Venue 1st T20ITThursday, July 234:30 Harare Sports Club, Harare2nd T20ISaturday, July 254:30 PMHarare Sports Club, Harare Sports Club3rd T20ISSunday, July 264:30 PMHarare Sports Club, Harare