'No Nerves at All': Wasim Jaffer Hails Mentally Strong Tilak Varma After Impressive Debut

Wasim Jaffer heaped praise on Tilak Varma for his impressive batting performance in his debut match against West Indies in the first T20I. The southpaw looked solid in the 150-run chase and stamped his authority over the bowlers during his 22-ball 39-run knock.

Tilak opened his account with a six and followed it with another to announce his arrival on the big stage.

Jaffer was highly impressed with Tilak’s approach with the bat and said he was playing like it was a club game.

“He looked impressive. There were no nerves at all. The way he started, it seemed like he was playing a club game or for his state team. No pressure at all,” the former India opener told ESPNCricinfo.

Talking about his wide range of shots, Jaffer hailed the southpaw’s strong mindset in the middle.

“He came out and backed his game. That’s the good thing about him – it shows that he’s mentally very strong. He was the only one who looked very comfortable on this pitch.”

“The shots that he played, not just the big ones, even the slices through third man and the other shots, shows that he was in good form,” he added.

The 45-year-old feels that Varma would be a bit disappointed as he had a chance to score big and take India over the line on his debut.

“He would be disappointed that he couldn’t score 20-odd more runs. If Varma had got 50 or 60, India would have got home. Sanju Samson’s run-out also cost them. He was looking good,” he added.

Jaffer also said that Ishan Kishan’s form in T20I is a concern for India as he has not been able to produce a big knock in the shortest format.

“Ishan Kishan’s form in T20 international cricket is a little bit of a worry. In last 15 games, he hasn’t crossed 40 and his strike rate is not impressive at all,” he added.

He further said that the management might look for Yashasvi Jaiswal soon if Kishan failed to score big in the upcoming matches.

“That is something the management can look into. Yashasvi Jaiswal is in such good form, coming out of a breakthrough IPL. Wonder if looking at him is a good option,” the former player commented.