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...

min read

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.)

Cap air travel ‘CF’ upto one pc

Quaid Najmi

Aug 24

2 min read

Mumbai/Nagpur: A consumer rights panel has sought urgent intervention by the government to a ‘systematic exploitation of fliers by a cartel’ comprising commercial airlines and online travel portals through arbitrary and exorbitant ‘Convenience Fees’ (CF) – estimated at a staggering Rs. 14,000-cr per year - and demanding a cap of 1-pc.

A representation has been sent to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Minister for Civil Aviation (MoCA) K. Rammohan Naidu, besides heads of the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) and Competition Commission of India (CCI), and officials of all concerned departments, Council for Protection of Rights (CPR)-Nagpur President Barr. Vinod Tiwari on the issue.

The CPR has claimed that all commercial carriers and top online travel agencies (OTAs) like MakeMyTrip, ClearTrip, EaseMyTrip, GoIbibo plus others were charging exorbitant, unnecessary and non-refundable ‘CFs’ that has no bearing on the actual cost of digital processing of the tickets.

“It appears that the airlines and OTAs operate virtually as a ‘cartel’ to fleece the air passengers. The CFs range from Rs 350-Rs 600 per flier per sector, though some smaller individual portals levy a flat rate of around Rs 300-400, regardless of the ticket prices. We want the Centre’s intervention and an investigation by the CCI into this suspected collusion,” Tiwari told ‘The Perfect Voice’.

These gross CFs have become a mandatory component of the air ticket “rather than payment of an optional service”. In Jan. 2026, the CCPA barred all restaurants in the country from levying a separate ‘Service Charge’ on the final food bills following a Delhi High Court ruling, then under what rules can airlines-OTAs levy the mandatory CF, demanded Tiwari.

The CPR chief said that airlines already recover infrastructure and operational costs through the base fares and fuel surcharges, making the additional Internet-handling or Web check-in related charges irrelevant and dubious. Accusing the of ‘drip pricing’, he said the CF charges are suppressed in the initial fare displayed on the screens, but pop up only at the final payment stage, “practically ‘trapping’ the consumers and ultimately forcing them to pay up”.

Tiwari’s representation has proposed a 0.5-1.0 pc ceiling on the CF, irrespective of the ticket price, a full audit of the huge revenues reportedly generated by the airlines-OTAs vide the CFs, and a refund of half the CFs collected in case of cancellations.

“This will prevent exploitation of the fliers, restrict the airlines-OTAs from milking routine digital payments as high-margin revenue sources, often 15pc-20 pc of the ticket costs, and lead to fair competition among all the stakeholders,” suggested Tiwari.

This 0.5-1.0 pc limit would additionally benefit the air passengers by making flying somewhat cheaper as envisioned by the PM, reduce the burden on low-cost, short-hop travelers, the budget-conscious holiday crowds, or the growing tribe of ‘frequent fliers’ in the country while actually boosting the turbulent aviation sector, Tiwari contended.

Tilak Varma: The Calm in the Chaos

Cap air travel ‘CF’ upto one pc

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