‘Didn’t expect to be back this early’: Tilak Varma's emotional comeback lifts India's T20 World Cup mood

NEW DELHI: India all-rounder Tilak Varma marked a spirited return from injury with an impactful performance and an emotional message of gratitude after the defending champions defeated South Africa by 30 runs in their T20 World Cup warm-up match at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on Wednesday.

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Fresh from rehabilitation, Tilak admitted he did not expect to be back in action so soon and credited the BCCI and the Centre of Excellence (CoE) for accelerating his recovery. “To be honest, I did not expect that I will be back on the field this early. Really thankful for CoE and BCCI. I always say that playing the World Cup is my biggest dream,” he said in a video shared by the BCCI.




Walking into a packed stadium chanting his name gave the youngster an emotional lift. “When I entered the ropes and everyone was shouting ‘Tilak, Tilak,’ I really felt nice. It boosted me a lot,” he added, describing the electric atmosphere even during a warm-up game.

Inspired by the aggressive intent around him, Tilak said the team’s batting energy pushed him to play freely. “The way Ishan was batting, the way Abhishek and everyone was going, I was also like, ‘Mai bhi maarunga jaake.’ The vibe was really terrific, and yeah — Tilak and the Indian team is ready for the World Cup,” he said.

On the field, Tilak backed up his words with a brisk 45 off 19 balls as India piled up 240 for five, building on Ishan Kishan’s explosive start. The bowlers then held their nerve to restrict South Africa to 210, sealing a confident win.

With his comeback timed perfectly, Tilak’s return has added fresh energy to India’s campaign as they shift focus to their World Cup opener against the USA on Saturday.


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