'I can hit from ball one': Tilak Varma hits back at strike-rate criticism

India's T20I vice-captain Tilak Varma has hit back at criticism surrounding his strike rate during the recent T20I tours of Ireland and England, insisting that he always bats according to the team's requirements rather than personal milestones.The left-hander faced scrutiny after scoring 178 runs in seven T20Is across the two tours at a strike rate of 131.85. While he registered two half-centuries 55 against Ireland in the second T20I and 53 against England in the fifth and final T20I questions were raised over his approach in the middle overs.However, ahead of India's T20I series against Zimbabwe, Tilak made it clear that he is capable of attacking from the very first ball but chooses his approach based on the match situation and the team's needs.'I can hit from ball one, but I play according to the situation'Explaining his batting philosophy, Tilak said adapting to different batting positions and overseas conditions required him to take responsibility rather than chase an aggressive strike rate."In this game, you have to bat in different positions, and especially in those conditions, it isn't easy. At the same time, I've always said that I do whatever the team requires. If I have to grind it out for the team, I'll do that. If I have to hit from ball one, I can do that as well," Tilak told reporters during the pre-match press conference.The 23-year-old pointed out that India's repeated top-order collapses on the Ireland and England tours forced the middle order to rebuild the innings instead of playing freely."From Ireland to England, we were losing four or five wickets inside the powerplay or within the first 10 overs in several matches. Going in and trying to accelerate immediately in that situation doesn't make sense. That's always in my mind. I know I can hit the first ball, but I'm playing for the country, and that comes with responsibilities," he added.'The team's plan comes before personal numbers'Tilak further revealed that as India's vice-captain, he is entrusted with specific responsibilities by the team management and prefers to execute those plans rather than focus on individual statistics."Everything depends on what the team needs at that moment. Sometimes I have to bat till the end, and sometimes the team's plans change according to the match situation. As vice-captain, the management gives me certain responsibilities after careful planning, and I want to fulfil those responsibilities. That's why I play according to the team's plans," Tilak said.Strike rate of 131 in UK TourTilak Varma finished the 2026 UK and Ireland tour with an overall T20I strike rate of 131.85, scoring 178 runs off 135 balls faced. While his tour featured highly explosive cameos, such as a blistering 212.00 strike rate (53 runs off 25 balls) in the final T20I at Southampton.MatchRuns (Balls)Strike Ratevs Ireland – 1st T20I19 (21)90.48vs Ireland – 2nd T20I55 (46)119.57vs England – 1st T20I13 (13)100.00vs England – 2nd T20I24* (11)218.18vs England – 3rd T20I3 (11)27.27vs England – 4th T20I11 (8)137.50vs England – 5th T20I53 (25)212.00Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.