Gavaskar Lauds Tilak Varma for his heroics against Pakistan in the Asia Cup final, saying the middle-order batter made “every ball count for something.” Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar highlighted how Varma guided India to a thrilling five-wicket win.
India faced major setbacks in the powerplay as their top-order batters—Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, and Suryakumar Yadav—walked back to the dugout, leaving the team under pressure. Then, Varma rose to the occasion with an unbeaten 69 and guided India to a five-wicket victory over arch-rivals Pakistan to win the Asia Cup for the ninth time at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday.
“Abhishek has played a few good knocks; to be honest, I didn’t see all the matches, but from an Indian point of view, yes. I think the knocks that Abhishek played and today’s knock by Varma were the best in the tournament. He made every ball count for something,” Gavaskar said to India Today.
“He ran for singles, rotated the strike, and kept the circulation going in the legs. That helps footwork as well. With the left-hand, right-hand combination, the opposition captain has to adjust the field, and the bowler has to change line and length, which eventually helps both batters,” he added.
Varma timed his shots perfectly and ran between the wickets to retain the strike as much as possible. He remained calm under pressure and anchored the innings beautifully.
Praising the 22-year-old further, Gavaskar said, “In any game that reaches the final over, it becomes tight. But India always wants to win, and everyone stays relaxed and focused.”
“Full marks to Tilak Varma for the way he played. He took singles strategically, and even when he attempted lofted shots, they were calculated and executed perfectly.”
— IANS
