Tilak Varma has the looks of a film superstar. Calm expression. A leisurely walk. Long, flamboyant hairstyle. The easy position with which he carries his kit. There is something cinematic about it. But take the time to watch it closely and it’s clear that substance runs deeper than style.
On the eve of the Namibia clash, after a long session at the net, Tilak stayed back on the ground and obliged with a steady stream of selfie requests. Young, aspiring cricketers and families of DDCA officials queued for a moment with India’s No. 3. He smiled, stopped, posed and moved on, unhurried as always. It seemed symbolic to me. In a batting order teeming with strike-makers, Tilak Varma could well be at the heart of India’s 2026 FIFA World Cup T20 campaign.
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For all the explosive reputation of T20 cricket, World Cups rarely unfold in a straightforward manner. The gap between heavyweights and unpopular parties can be narrowed in a single session. Add India’s dual burden as defending champions and hosts and every misstep is magnified, debated and dissected. In this environment, role clarity becomes essential.
Tilak proved a game-changer for India at No.3 (Courtesy: Reuters)
Tilak understands that T20 cricket, despite its reputation for chaos, often rewards control. In a speed-defined format, it offers calculation.
For years, Virat Kohli has defined India’s T20 story at No. 3. For more than a decade, he has compiled a catalog of match-winning matches in world tournaments. The sight of No. 18 coming out to bat was reassuring. This time, the character will not be guarded in the same way.
Tilak knows what that absence means. He also knows that the responsibility associated with the position has not disappeared.
TILAK READY TO ROLL ANCHOR
On the eve of the match in Namibia Tilak made it clear that he was ready to take on the responsibility of the anchor once ruled India’s most prolific T20 World Cup batter.
“I take the game deep because we have no dearth of power hitters. Everyone is ready to hit the ball from the opener to number eight. So it is very important to play the anchor in the middle. Just like in the batting line-up, one or two batsmen have to play that role. So I take that pressure while the rest can go for the big shots,” Tilak told reporters in Delhi.
It is not a line delivered for effect. It reflects how he sees his place on this side.
His skills make him a compelling successor at No. 3. His presence in the crease may not yet evoke the same aura, but he increasingly carries expectations.
The numbers indicate readiness rather than mere promise. Tilak scored 1,183 runs in 40 matches at an average of 49.29 and a strike rate of 144.09. In that period, the 23-year-old batsman hit two centuries and six fifties, with a top score of 120 not out. He has been entrusted with extended runs at No.3 and No.4 since the last T20 World Cup. In seven innings at No.3 during this phase, he compiled 422 runs at an average of 140.66 and a strike rate of 168.8, including two hundreds and two fifties.
These are not the numbers of players who find their feet. These are the numbers of someone who has taken responsibility.
Sunday’s match against Pakistan in Colombo will be played on the Premadasa Stadium surface, which traditionally slows down as the match progresses. Patience can matter as much as power. Similar conditions may emerge later in the tournament as temperatures rise at home. In such scenarios, the value of a batsman willing to time his innings, absorb the pressure and then accelerate becomes even clearer.
Tilak’s game is built on this elasticity. It can start quietly, let the pace build around it, and then shift gears without warning. In a team full of hitters, Tilak Varma is preparing to hold the thread together.
THE ART OF GEAR SHIFT
Tilak has shown several transfers since the last global tournament. He can start as an observer, allowing others to attack, and then take command within a few deliveries.
His unbeaten 69 in the Asia Cup final against Pakistan while chasing 147 was measured rather than loud. He absorbed pressure, worked the gaps and accelerated when needed. This earned him Player of the Match.
It was 72 against England in Chennai to guide India home from 78 for five in pursuit of 166. Against South Africa it was 62 off 35 balls while chasing 214 at the end of 2025. In any case, he showed an understanding of pace that goes beyond boundaries. Tilak showed he can shift when needed (Courtesy: AFP)
Four Player of the Match awards explain this impact. On the 2024 tour of South Africa, he scored 280 runs in four innings at a strike rate close to 199, including two centuries, earning the Player of the Series award. When South Africa toured India at the end of 2025, he again topped the charts with 187 runs in four matches at a more measured strike rate of 131.69. Same dominance, different method.
In last year’s Asia Cup triumph, he scored 213 runs in six innings at an average of 71, playing evenly alongside Abhishek Sharma.
Versatility is not a buzzword for Tilak. It’s a habit. The debate surrounding T20 cricket often suggests that there is no scope for consolidation. The batsmen are expected to attack from ball one. Tilak offers a different perspective.
“I’m always ready to play in any position, but those middle overs are very important for a balanced batsman. As the game gets deeper, especially in the chases, I like to finish it off.”
“We have no shortage of power hitters. Everyone from the opener to No. 8 can hit the ball. So it’s important that one or two batsmen take responsibility in the middle. I take that pressure on myself so others can go for the big hits.”
His approach is rooted in situational awareness.
“I think about my batting based on the situation that day. Every game has a different wicket, atmosphere and bowler. Even against the same team, every day is different. I stay present. When I go in, I react and make the decision that feels right.”
India experienced the flip side of unchecked aggression as they slumped to 77 for six against USA in Mumbai before Suryakumar Yadav’s unbeaten 84 sealed victory. The lesson was not lost.
“The head coach has asked us to play cautiously if wickets fall in bunches like they did against USA. Surya bhai and I can fill that role if required.”
“We discussed that we can find gaps at three and four. Abhishek hits sixes, Ishan and Sanju bhai are powerful. The role in between is very important.”
“I think the team that plays well between 6 and 16 overs will win the tournament. That’s why we take the responsibility to handle the pressure and allow the finishers to play freely.”
VISUALIZER
The most fascinating layer on Tilak Varma is not technical. It’s mental. He is a visualizer.
While recovering from emergency abdominal surgery in Rajkot while at the BCCI Center of Excellence in Bengaluru, he maintained his lead not through nets but through imagination.
“When I don’t have a bat in my hand for a few days, I feel weird,” he says. “Before I go to sleep every night, I still imagine that I’m playing in the World Cup finals and big matches. I get under pressure.”
It’s a childhood ritual. He imagines scenarios. He imagines scoreboards. He imagines the silence before the noise. The moment that moment actually happens, it feels familiar. That’s why he didn’t feel like he was coming back from injury. His mind never left the competition.
Playing the World Cup at home comes with its own pressures and privileges, according to Varma, who described the experience as a dream for every cricketer in the country. As he has often imagined in his quieter moments, he may be the one to lead India to another World Cup final.
“Above all, it’s a dream to play a World Cup on home soil and you have to be very lucky to get it. We went into the Wankhede for the first match and we were very lucky. I don’t think every cricketer gets that moment.”
“The more you express yourself, the more you enjoy it. At the same time, playing at home, you have pressure because everyone thinks we have to win. In the last game, you can see how the crowd supported us. The expectations are there. At the same time, you have the support of the crowd.”
“You can enjoy knowing the conditions. Waiting has its advantages and disadvantages. We’ve been doing it since childhood. We’re used to handling pressure because that’s our job. We’re enjoying it now. We’ll see what happens next,” he concluded.
It is a visualizer that prepares in silence. The new age of T20 anchored in a team full of pacers. In a format defined by power, Tilak Varma makes thinking fashionable again.
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Published on:
February 12, 2026