Virender Sehwag urged Tilak Varma to “identify” his weaknesses and improve his abilities, referencing his own playing career. The five-time champion Mumbai Indians (MI) were eliminated from the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL) on May 26, following a humiliating 62-run loss to the defending champion Gujarat Titans (GT) in Qualifier 2. GT scored 233 runs in 20 overs after being invited to bat first due to Shubman Gill’s century. MI failed to chase down the target, being struck out for 171 after 18.2 overs. When Nehal Wadhera (4) and Rohit Sharma (8) were dismissed early, MI suffered early setbacks. Meanwhile, MI breathed a sigh of relief following Tilak Varma’s spectacular strike of 43 off 14 deliveries.
Similarly, Suryakumar Yadav (61) scored a swift fifty, but it was not enough for MI to cross the finish line. Tilak Varma performances attracted attention despite MI’s loss in the must-win game. Numerous specialists have praised Tilak’s performance, and now the legendary India opener Virender Sehwag has some advice for the young player. He suggested that Tilak enhance his physical fitness and identify his development areas. He added that when you play cricket regularly, you change over time, whereas this does not occur when you do not play.
“He should focus on two things: improving his fitness and identifying the talents and mindset he can work on. It occurs frequently when playing regular cricket; you evolve over time. However, when you are not playing cricket, you must focus on your physical fitness and your abilities. “Like Suryakumar Yadav, he spent a great deal of time practicing his shots,” Virender Sehwag told Cricbuzz.
It reminds me of Tilak, where I made my debut for India in 1999. Virender Sehwag
The seasoned batter claimed that the 20-year-old batter reminded him of his 1999 debut for India, when Shoaib Akhtar dismissed him. The 44-year-old stated that Sourav Ganguly then encouraged him to practice against fast bowling so that he would be better prepared, and he continued to develop.
“Tilak Varma should concentrate on strengthening his vulnerability. When I made my international debut for India in 1999, Shoaib Akhtar dismissed me, which makes me think of him. Before I could lower my bat, the projectile struck my pad.
So, Dada (Sourav Ganguly) advised me to exercise against fast bowling in order to be better prepared. I used to bat in the middle order, and by the time the fast spinners arrived, I had already scored a century. As Sehwag stated, Tilak Varma must identify his weaknesses.