India’s 2024 T20 World Cup-winning captain Rohit Sharma has praised Tilak Varma for growing into a dependable big-match player as India head towards the T20 World Cup 2026. Rohit said Tilak’s mindset and hunger for the game have made him stand out over the last few years.
Speaking on JioHotstar’s ‘Captain Rohit Sharma’s Roadmap for T20 World Cup’, Rohit said, “The first time Tilak Varma came into our Mumbai Indians setup, I could sense that there was something different about him. What attracted me was his constant conversation that came from a very innocent place, but it made a lot of sense.”
Rohit also recalled how eager Tilak was to take responsibility in crucial situations. “Whenever he spoke to me, he would just say, ‘I’ll do it. Please send me up the order, I’ll do the job.’ I’m talking about the 2022 and 2023 seasons, when I was captain,” Rohit said.
Tilak’s performances in the IPL have also grown steadily. In 2022, he scored 397 runs, followed by 343 runs in 2023 at a strike rate above 164. In 2024, he added 416 runs, and so far in the IPL, he has scored 1499 runs in 54 matches at an average of 37.47.
Rohit also applauded Tilak’s knock in the Asia Cup 2025 final against Pakistan, where he remained unbeaten on 69 runs under pressure. “He has that mindset and attitude, which is superb, and he is mad about cricket. And most importantly, his temperament, that knock in the Asia Cup against Pakistan was unbelievable,” Rohit said.
Rohit concluded by saying, “I know it’s still early days, but he is showing that he is a big-match player. Whenever the team is in trouble, not just once, he has gotten them out of trouble a few times now.”
At present, Tilak is not playing for India as he is working his way back from testicular surgery. Hence, according to recent reports as quoted by ESPNcricinfo, he is set to miss the ongoing New Zealand series and is mostly expected to join India’s T20 World Cup squad on February 3 in Mumbai. Reportedly, he has been given extra time to regain match fitness.
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