New Delhi [India], November 14 : In a stellar display of resilience and skill, batsman Tilak Varma who scored a remarkable century against South Africa recently has shared insights into his recent struggles and determination during the post-match press conference.
"Actually, in the last game of the IPL, I got a fracture, I had a dislocation. After that, I was injured again in practice. So, I missed two series--Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka," Varma recounted.
The young cricketer's journey has been far from smooth, marked by significant injuries that kept him out of crucial series.
Reflecting on his time away from the game, Varma expressed his disappointment, "I was very disappointed that I missed these opportunities."
However, he did not let these setbacks deter his spirit.
"I was patient and followed my process, knowing my time would come and then I would score runs," he added, demonstrating his unwavering confidence and dedication to the sport.
Despite his optimism, Varma faced another hurdle when he couldn't perform as expected in his previous match.
"Unfortunately, I couldn't score runs in the last match," he admitted.
Yet, his self-belief and the support from his captain played a crucial role in his journey back to form.
"I was backing myself, and the captain supported me and gave me an opportunity. I got the fruits," he said, highlighting the importance of perseverance and encouragement from his team.
Tilak Varma was named the 'Player of the Match' after his staggering performance with the bat. The left-hand batter played an unbeaten knock of 107 runs off just 56 deliveries which was laced with eight boundaries and seven maximums in his innings. The southpaw scored runs at a whopping strike rate of 191.07.
Recapping the 3rd T20I of the series, South Africa won the toss and decided to field. Abhishek Sharma (50 runs from 25 balls, 3 fours and 5 sixes) and Tilak Varma (107* runs from 56 balls, 8 fours and 7 sixes) powered India to 219/6 in the first innings. Other batters failed to shine with the bat.
Andile Simelane and Keshav Maharaj led the Proteas bowling attack and bagged two wickets each in their respective spell.
During the run chase, Heinrich Klaasen (41 runs from 22 balls, 1 four and 4 sixes) and Marco Jansen (54 runs from 17 balls, 4 fours and 5 sixes) kept the Proteas in the game. But with the help of Arshdeep, India prevailed in the end.
Arshdeep did the job both with the new ball and in the death overs as he picked up three crucial wickets and gave 37 runs in his four-over spell. Varun Chakaravarthy bagged two wickets in his four-over spell.