Hanuma Vihari Defends Tilak Varma Ahead of England T20I Series

India will aim to rebound in the third T20I of the five‑match series against England at Trent Bridge, Nottingham, on Tuesday, July 7. The opening match was abandoned without a ball being bowled, and England secured victory in the second game, leaving the visitors under pressure as they prepare for the decisive encounter.

Ahead of the third T20I, former India batsman Hanuman Vihari voiced strong support for vice‑captain Tilak Varmadismissing calls for his omission from the lineup. Although Varma’s strike rate has faced scrutiny, Vihari argues that the left‑hander has repeatedly delivered under pressure and remains a key Asset for India.

Hanuma Vihari backs Tilak Varma despite criticism

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Vihari said the suggestions to drop Tilak were surprising, emphasizing that the team management has expressed full confidence in the vice‑captain. He also rejected proposals to include Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Sanju Samson at Tilak’s expense, calling such arguments unjust.

“I feel like laughing when many people tell to drop him. They say Suryavanshi can come down and Sanju can play if Tilak is dropped. He is the vice‑captain of the team. The management has trusted him. He does that finishing role. He scored a fifty against Ireland as well under pressure. He has always stood up in crisis situations. If you remember the Asia Cup final, he won India the game. So saying Tilak should be out does not make sense. He got those runs for us in the death overs which matters a lot. You need such players and Tilak has been it consistently. He played an important knock once again and took us to a good score,” Vihari said.

Vihari identifies India’s batting concern

In addition to defending Tilak, Vihari analysed India’s batting performance in the second T20I. He noted that batters focused excessively on clearing the boundary rather than rotating the strike, allowing England to regain control in the later stages. According to the former India batsman, smarter shot selection and greater game awareness will be essential if India are to level the series in Nottingham.

“The batters have struggled here and are not able to take singles or doubles more in trying to hit the big shots. It is not more about stroke play but about when to play shots, a little smarter shot selection becomes important,” Vihari explained.

India were well placed at 130/3 after 13 overs in the second T20I but lost wickets at regular intervals during the death overs and ultimately fell short of the 200‑run target. With England carrying the momentum into the third match, the visitors will aim to produce a stronger all‑round performance and square the series.

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