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Cricket Players'Didn't expect to be back so early': Tilak Varma reacts to crowd support after dazzling in return from injury
T20 World Cup: There will be significant pressure on Tilak Varma, especially as he will be batting at No. 3 in Virat Kohli's position.
Tilak Varma made his return from injury on Wednesday as India defeated South Africa by 30 runs in their T20 World Cup warm-up fixture in Navi Mumbai. Batting at No. 3, he smacked 45 runs off 19 balls, laced with three sixes and three fours, striking at 236.84. The 23-year-old recently recovered from an abdominal surgery and was training at BCCI's Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru.
Speaking to BCCI's media team, he said, "I did not expect to be back on the field this early. Really thankful for CoE and BCCI. I always said that my biggest dream is to play the World Cup. The way I entered the rope, everyone was shouting my name. I did not expect that, so it felt really nice and gave me a boost as I was going in. The way Ishan and Abhishek were batting, I decided to play aggressively. I did not expect a full crowd. It's just a warm-up game, but the craze is amazing and really thanks to everyone. The vibe was terrific today, and Tilak and Indian team is ready for the World Cup."
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Against South Africa, Ishan Kishan was also in hot form, smacking 53 runs off 20 balls, before retiring out. The knock was key as it further backed up Kishan's claim for a spot in the playing XI. Due to Sanju Samson's poor form, Kishan is expected to open with Abhishek Sharma and did so in the warm-up fixture. Kishan and Tilak's efforts saw India post 240/6 in 20 overs.
In response, the Proteas reached 210/7 in 20 overs, with Abhishek also taking a two-wicket haul.
There will be significant pressure on Tilak in the upcoming tournament, especially as he will be batting at No. 3 in Virat Kohli's position. Kohli has retired from T20Is and Test cricket.
In 15 T20Is at No. 3, Tilak has registered 542 runs with an average of 60.22 and a strike rate of 160.83. He has also registered two tons and three half-centuries.
