India T20 Vice-captain, Tilak Varma has stood his ground regarding his batting style, even in the face of criticism about his strike rate during India's T20I tours of Ireland and England. The left-handed batsman has faced some backlash from former cricketers and parts of the media, especially as his scoring rate has varied with different batting roles. As India gears up for the T20I series against Zimbabwe, the vice-captain mentioned that he doesn’t let outside opinions bother him. He highlighted that his batting approach is shaped by the match situation and the responsibilities given to him by the team management.

Speaking ahead of the Zimbabwe series, Tilak said batting in different positions, particularly in overseas conditions, demands flexibility. He explained that, “If I have to hit from ball number one, then I do that. So at that time, in the conditions of the team, if you look at it, from Ireland to England, you always had four to five wickets falling inside the powerplay or the first 10 overs.”

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Tilak said India's repeated top-order collapses during the Ireland and England tours forced the middle order to change its plans. With four or five wickets often falling inside the first 10 overs, he felt attacking immediately would have been risky. Instead, he focused on batting deeper to give India a chance to recover. He also said the team management trusts him with specific responsibilities, as he said, “So when you have a vice-captaincy in your name, then the team gives you something after thinking about it. So I want to take the same responsibilities that the management gives me, so I’m playing according to that.”

The left-handed batsman wrapped up the two tours with a total of 178 runs across seven T20 internationals, featuring two impressive half-centuries. His standout performance came against Ireland in the second T20I in Belfast, where he scored 55. He also managed to hit a fifty against England. Even in the face of criticism, Tilak feels that those innings showcased his ability to handle tough match situations rather than any lack of determination.

India Shift Focus to Zimbabwe T20Is

India is looking to bounce back from a tough stretch after losing the T20I series 2-0 to Ireland and 4-0 to England under Shreyas Iyer's leadership. The three-match T20I series against Zimbabwe kicks off on July 23, and Tilak is anticipating a fiercely competitive showdown, even though India is heading in with a nearly full-strength squad. He recalled how Zimbabwe pulled off a surprise win in the first match of last year's series and cautioned that the hosts will once again be a formidable opponent.

Tilak also pointed out that India's recent experience in similar conditions in Ireland and England could be beneficial. He mentioned having conversations about Zimbabwe's pitches with teammates, including Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, and he expects the cool weather, expansive grounds, and breezy conditions to mirror what they faced during their UK tour. Describing the previous series as a valuable learning opportunity, Tilak emphasized that the team is now focused on sticking to the fundamentals and regaining their momentum. With head coach Gautam Gambhir not joining the tour, VVS Laxman will be in charge of India's preparations in Zimbabwe.