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By:

Waleed Hussain

4 March 2025 at 8:04:30 pm

Tilak Varma: The Calm in the Chaos

There are moments in T20 cricket when a match appears to slip beyond reach. For India, one of the most encouraging developments in recent years has been the emergence of a young left-hander who seems increasingly comfortable in precisely these circumstances. His name is Tilak Varma. Varma offered another compelling demonstration of his value, striking an unbeaten 51 off 25 balls against New Zealand in Christchurch. India had slumped to 112 for six while chasing 181, with Mitchell Santner...

Tilak Varma: The Calm in the Chaos

There are moments in T20 cricket when a match appears to slip beyond reach. For India, one of the most encouraging developments in recent years has been the emergence of a young left-hander who seems increasingly comfortable in precisely these circumstances. His name is Tilak Varma. Varma offered another compelling demonstration of his value, striking an unbeaten 51 off 25 balls against New Zealand in Christchurch. India had slumped to 112 for six while chasing 181, with Mitchell Santner threatening to derail the innings. Varma responded with a match-turning partnership alongside Nitish Kumar Reddy, adding 69 runs from just 30 balls to steer India to a four-wicket victory. His late assault transformed a precarious chase into another memorable Indian win. Varma’s greatest contribution to the Indian T20 side may lie in his ability to bring order to chaos. India have never lacked explosive batters. The challenge, however, is ensuring that aggression does not become recklessness and that a promising start does not collapse under pressure. Varma offers a different kind of assurance. He can attack without losing sight of the situation, rebuild after early wickets and accelerate when the game demands it. His left-handed presence also gives India a valuable tactical dimension, disrupting bowling plans and forcing captains to reconsider their match-ups. The Christchurch innings illustrated these qualities perfectly. Such performances are what distinguish a talented batter from a genuine match-winner. The foundations of Varma’s reputation were laid in South Africa in November 2024. Given the opportunity to bat at No. 3, he responded with an unbeaten 107 off 56 balls at Centurion, helping India post 219 for six and secure a crucial victory. He followed that performance with another century, scoring 120 in the next match, establishing himself as a batter capable of dominating quality international bowling. They demonstrated that Varma could assume responsibility at a pivotal position rather than remain confined to the role of a supporting batter. His willingness to take ownership of the No. 3 position was particularly significant for a team continually searching for the right balance between stability and aggression. In the 2025 Asia Cup final against Pakistan, Varma’s unbeaten 69 guided India through a tense chase after an uncertain start. Modern T20 cricket increasingly demands players who can fulfil multiple roles within a single innings. Varma has demonstrated the ingredients required for that responsibility. His left-handed batting adds variety to India’s predominantly right-handed combinations, while his ability to play spin and pace makes him a flexible option across different conditions. The long-term implications are substantial. India need not depend exclusively on one or two established superstars to rescue difficult matches. A reliable Varma in the middle order could give the team greater freedom to attack early, knowing that someone capable of rebuilding remains available when wickets fall. There is, of course, a distinction between potential and sustained greatness. International cricket will test Varma against opponents who study his strengths, exploit his weaknesses and devise plans specifically to contain him. Consistency, fitness, decision-making under pressure and the ability to recover from prolonged lean patches will determine whether he becomes a dependable international fixture or one of India’s defining T20 batters. The challenge is to nurture his development without burdening him with unrealistic expectations. Every promising young cricketer does not need to be labelled the next superstar. Varma deserves the opportunity to develop his own identity. There is something particularly inspiring about Varma’s journey. His rise from Hyderabad, supported during his formative years by a coach who helped him overcome financial constraints, reflects the role that opportunity, sacrifice and perseverance can play in sporting success. But inspiration alone does not win international matches. Performance does. And Varma is increasingly providing the evidence to support the belief surrounding him. For Indian cricket, Tilak Varma represents something more enduring than a succession of memorable innings: the possibility of a middle order built around intelligent aggression and emotional resilience. The next chapter of his career will determine just how far that promise carries him. Yet the signs are encouraging. India may have discovered a batter who can do more than entertain, more than accumulate runs and more than rescue the occasional match. They may have found a cricketer capable of becoming one of the defining pillars of their T20 future. (The writer is a senior journalist based in Mumbai. Views personal.)

A Shattered Peace

Correspondent
Mar 6, 2025
3 min read

Updated: Mar 7, 2025

South Sudan

South Sudan’s uneasy peace is once again under threat. The recent arrests of key opposition figures, including Oil Minister Puot Kang Chol and Deputy Army Chief General Gabriel Duop Lam, have sent tremors through the world’s youngest nation, reigniting fears that the country could slide back into civil war. Both men are senior members of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM-IO), the faction led by Vice-President Riek Machar, whose bitter rivalry with President Salva Kiir has been the defining fault line of South Sudanese politics.


These arrests follow a surge in violence in the northern Upper Nile state, where the White Army militia loyal to Machar reportedly seized a strategic town near the Ethiopian border. The government, led by President Kiir’s loyalists, has accused Machar’s allies of backing the rebels. The situation escalated further when South Sudanese troops surrounded Machar’s residence in Juba, while several of his senior military officials were placed under house arrest. The government has provided no official explanation, but opposition voices have condemned the detentions as a violation of the 2018 peace agreement that ended the brutal five-year civil war.


The detentions and rising tensions have raised alarms within the international community. The United Nations and the African Union have warned that the violence could spill over, while peace advocates within South Sudan fear that the country is on the precipice of another deadly conflict. With elections repeatedly postponed (now scheduled for 2026) South Sudan may once again descend into chaos if the peace deal unravels.


After decades of conflict, the country gained independence from Sudan in 2011, becoming the world’s newest sovereign state. Yet the euphoria of nationhood was short-lived. By 2013, a political power struggle between Kiir, a Dinka, and Machar, a Nuer, erupted into full-scale civil war. The fighting, largely along ethnic lines, resulted in the deaths of more than 400,000 people and the displacement of millions.


A peace agreement brokered in 2018 sought to put an end to the bloodshed, with Kiir and Machar reluctantly agreeing to form a unity government. The deal, however, has been fragile from the start. Key provisions, including the integration of opposition forces into the national army and the establishment of transitional governance structures, have faced chronic delays.


Machar’s camp has condemned the detentions as a direct attack on the peace accord. While the government has sought to downplay fears of renewed war, history suggests otherwise. The last time tensions between Kiir and Machar escalated in 2016, Juba became a battleground. The power-sharing arrangement collapsed, and Machar was forced to flee the country.


One of the gravest concerns is the role of the White Army, the militia group that has historically fought alongside Machar. Its recent resurgence in Upper Nile state and the capture of strategic territory have fueled speculation that the opposition leader still holds considerable military leverage. If Machar’s forces continue to clash with government troops, the ceasefire could collapse entirely.


The broader geopolitical context also complicates matters. South Sudan remains heavily reliant on oil revenues, but instability has deterred foreign investment. China, which has significant oil interests in the country, has expressed concern over the deteriorating security situation.


South Sudan’s repeated delays in holding elections have only deepened its crisis. Originally planned for 2023, the vote has now been postponed to 2026 due to logistical and financial constraints. The absence of a legitimate electoral process has enabled Kiir and Machar to maintain their uneasy cohabitation which is fast becoming untenable.


The next few weeks will determine whether South Sudan steps back from the abyss or slides into yet another war. For too long, South Sudan has been trapped in a cycle of violence, fragile truces and failed political arrangements. The arrests of opposition leaders mark a dangerous moment of brinkmanship. If South Sudan is to avoid another tragic chapter in its history, its leaders must recognize that peace is not merely the absence of war but the presence of justice, stability and political inclusivity.

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