India vice-captain Tilak Varma said the T20I series win over Zimbabwe was a big relief after India’s disappointing performances in the previous two series against Ireland and England.India sealed their first series victory in three attempts with a dominant 90-run win in the second T20I in Harare on Saturday, taking an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series. The final match will be played on Sunday.Before arriving in Zimbabwe, India suffered a 0-2 defeat against Ireland in a two-match T20I series and then endured a humiliating 0-4 loss to England in a five-match series.“It’s quite a bit of a relief for us. If you see, the last two series didn’t go our way. But especially the way we have played the last two games was really good,” Tilak said in a video shared by the BCCI on X.Tilak played a match-winning unbeaten knock of 60 off 29 balls and added a crucial 94-run partnership with Ishan Kishan, who top-scored with a blistering 81 off 44 balls after India were reduced to 29/2.
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The left-hander praised Kishan for taking the attack to Zimbabwe’s bowlers from the start.“I just held my shape, and I was backing myself. I got those few good boundaries, and from there I just kept going. First of all, I want to just say about Ishan. The way he played was tremendous to watch. Right from the first ball, he showed that intent and from there, it was important to carry on,” he said.Tilak also credited captain Shreyas Iyer for providing the early momentum with a useful cameo before he and Kishan took control of the innings.“Small cameo from Iyer was also important for the team. From there, I just wanted to maintain that momentum throughout the overs. That’s what I was discussing with Ishan, that I would look for good shots down the ground,” he added.Apart from starring with the bat, Tilak also made an impact with the ball. He dismissed Ryan Burl and finished with figures of 1/9 from two overs.The 23-year-old said he has been working hard on his bowling and hopes to contribute regularly as an all-rounder.“Honestly, I didn’t expect that he’ll go right from the first ball. The thing is, I’m working really hard on my bowling. If you give two overs or three overs for the team, it really helps. That’s what’s in my mind right now. Going forward, my aim is to give the team at least two or three overs because it really helps the combination,” he said.
