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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.)

Jarange gets a day’s extension

Writer: Abhijit Mulye
Abhijit Mulye
Aug 29, 2025
2 min read

Says "won’t leave, ready to go to jail, face bullets."

Pic: Bhushan Koyande
Pic: Bhushan Koyande

Mumbai: Even after he got a day’s extension to continue his fast unto-death agitation at the Azad Maidan, Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange-Patil on Friday made it clear that his ‘final battle’ for Maratha reservation from OBC quota shall continue.


While speaking to media in the evening, Jarange-Patil accused the state government of misleading people and pitching one community against the other. “They say we are asking for reservation from within the OBC quota means we are asking for their reservation. But we have shown them the gazettes that have entries of Marathas as Kunbis. That means reservation is the right of the Maratha community and not of the OBCs. They got the quota in 1989, whereas we had it since more than 150 years ago, during the British Raj,” Jarange-Patil said.


While reiterating his stand which he made clear earlier in the day, Jarange-Patil said, “I am ready to face bullets…I am ready to go to jail. Come what may…I am not going to back out.” He launched the fast-unto-death at 10 am in the morning amid roaring support from thousands of his supporters who donned saffron caps and scarfs.


Mumbai nearly chocked as more than 2,500 vehicles carrying hundreds of supporters of Jarange-Patil entered Mumbai on Thursday. The numbers swelled further on Friday and Jarange-Patil said the numbers shall escalate as more people from all across Maharashtra are expected to join in the protests over the weekend.


Mumbai police had earlier given permission for the agitation up to 6 pm on Friday. After an application moved by the activists, the police extended the permission up to Saturday evening. They requested Jarange-Patil to ensure conditions like no parking on streets are followed by activists participating in the agitation. Jarange-Patil criticised the state government for the conditional permission for a day. He also said that there was no communication from the state government regarding any negotiation.


Won’t buckle: CM

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, made it clear that while the state government is committed to the socio-economic upliftment of Marathas, it cannot buckle to political pressure on unreasonable demands that would lead to doing injustice to the OBCs.


While reiterating that reservation for Marathas under OBC was irrational, Fadnavis said, “We have to understand that OBCs constitute 350 communities. We cannot dilute their reservation.” The government has already given a 10 per cent separate quota for Marathas.


Leader of opposition in the legislative council Ambadas Danve met Jarange-Patil at Azad Maidan. Several other MLAs and MPs too met Jarange-Patil at the agitation site.


Instead of playing these games of giving one-day extension, announce reservations, and the poor Marathas will bless you forever. You have the opportunity to win hearts of the poor Marathas. If you take time to take a decision, more Marathas will come to Mumbai.

Manoj Jarange

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