PM [1]
Rank : Helper
Status : Super Owner
#1
Former cricketer Aakash Chopra has backed young batter Tilak Varma as the next superstar of Indian cricket. Chopra's remarks came after Tilak crafted a calm and composed innings to help India beat England in the second T20I in Chennai on Saturday. His unbeaten 72 off 55 balls was instrumental in helping India achieve the target of 166 with two wickets and four balls to spare. Chopra hailed Tilak and expressed confidence in his potential of becoming a reliable middle-order batter for the country.
Chopra feels Tilak is close to being regarded as a superstar, having developed a knack of winning games for India from tricky situations.
"Tilak Varma, the superstar. We sometimes call someone a superstar very early. We also call someone a great or a legend very early these days. I am not saying that he is already a superstar but he is on the way," Chopra said.
"He went till the end and didn't throw away his wicket. 18 runs were required, eight wickets had fallen, and he had already hit five sixes, so he could have tried to hit three more sixes. However, he said he would go deep. The match was at Chepauk, it's Dhoni's home, so the guy should go deep while chasing," he added.
India captain Suryakumar Yadav and his English counterpart Jos Butller both praise Tilak after the match in Chennai.
"Good to see we are playing aggressive brand of cricket, at the same time, guys put their hands up and stitched the small partnerships," skipper Suryakumar Yadav said.
"Very happy with the way Tilak batted, something to learn for everyone."
England skipper Jos Buttler, said, "Great game. Really exciting end, credit to Tilak for getting them over the line. We created a lot of chances, really pushed them close."
The win saw India go 2-0 up in the five-match series.