Manjrekar sets high standards for new no. 3 Tilak Varma: ‘We had a legend in the past in name of Mahendra Singh Dhoni’
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Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has lauded Tilak Varma for his remarkable match-winning performance against England in the second T20I at Chepauk Stadium, Chennai. Tilak exhibited exceptional composure on a challenging pitch and led his team to victory with an unbeaten score of 72 runs. While other batsmen struggled to find their rhythm, Tilak anchored the innings and effectively partnered with the lower order, ultimately securing a tense 2-wicket win in the final over. The left-handed batsman has been performing admirably since stepping into the number 3 position during the transitional phase following Virat Kohli's retirement from T20 cricket.
Manjrekar expressed his admiration for Tilak's poise during crucial moments, noting the absence of panic in the death overs despite the mounting pressure of the required run rate.
"Absolutely. The confidence he possesses in guiding India to the finish line is commendable, and even during this chase, there was no sign of panic around the 18th over. In the 19th over, it was evident that India was struggling to find boundaries to alleviate the pressure. However, he remained composed and was determined to stay until the end," Manjrekar remarked on ESPNCricinfo's Timeout.
‘Had a legend in the past in the name of Mahendra Singh Dhoni’
Manjrekar even compared Tilak to Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who is widely regarded as the greatest finisher in Indian cricket.
"It seems the guy who is confident and being the man who can take his team through, just like we had a legend in the past in the name of Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who had the same confidence. So, when you have a player like him, batting at No.3, he might be taking on that role, which is not such a bad thing," he added.
Tilak has been enjoying an unbeaten run and scored 318 runs since he was last dismissed in T20Is, which is a new world record, overtaking 271 runs scored between two dismissals by New Zealand's Mark Chapman in 2023. Since his dismissal for 20 runs against South Africa at Gqeberha on November 10 last year, Tilak has gone on to play knocks of 107*, 120*, 19* and 72*, which translates to 318 runs in four innings.
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