Tilak Varma’s nerves were jangling. He was a nervous wreck when India faced Pakistan in the final of last year’s Asia Cup. The on-field tension notwithstanding, India had bossed Pakistan in the league stage and in the Super Six game before the contest became much more even in the final. Chasing 147, it seemed only a matter of time before India would gun it down, but an early collapse sent jitters through the Indian camp. At 20/3, Tilak felt the pressure. This was the first time he had played in the final of a tournament for India. Despite all he had achieved in the IPL and several bilaterals, a final against Pakistan is a different kettle of fish altogether.
A jubilant Tilak Varma after getting India over the line in the Asia Cup final (AFP)
“I was sweating even before I entered to bat. India had won both games against Pakistan before that; everyone was expecting India to win easily again, but it’s Dubai, it’s the final, it’s against Pakistan. They had such a good bowling attack, and all I was thinking was: we can’t lose this game,” Tilak told GQ India in a candid chat.
In the next 90 minutes, though, Tilak played the most gutsy knock of his career, smashing an unbeaten 69 off 53 balls to take India over the line and guide them to a record-extending 9th Asia Cup title. As the asking rate climbed, with 10 needed off the last over, Tilak tucked into Haris Rauf for his fourth six of the innings to make the equation a lot easier. Earlier in the inning, Shivam Dube had played his part, plundering 33 off 22 balls to ease the pressure, but the humdinger was still on.
Mumbai Indians experience comes in handy
It was there that Tilak brought all his IPL experience into play. Having played numerous match-winning knocks for the Mumbai Indians in pressure situations, Tilak stayed calm, turned to his self-belief, and pulled off one of India’s most famous wins in recent memory. With this inning, Tilak continued to build on his reputation as a master chaser, as after the final, his average shot up to an impressive 92 in successful run chases for India in T20Is.
“I’ve done this since I was a child, I’ve done this for the Mumbai Indians, I’ve made a name for myself playing under pressure,” he says matter-of-factly, each word as precise as the shots that flow from his bat when he’s on song. “I kept telling myself, I will do it; whatever happens, I will win the game for the country. I was just listening to my heart, not my mind. There was so much going on in my head, but I was just breathing. I looked at the India logo on my jersey and what it means to me. I also knew that God was with me. So yeah, everything went well,” he said.