Rohit Sharma hails Tilak as "big match player"; offers hilarious advice to Kuldeep ahead of T20 WC

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], January 22 (ANI): India's T20 World Cup-winning skipper Rohit Sharma hailed young batter Tilak Varma for his "attitude and temperament", while he also offered a hilarious piece of advice to spinner Kuldeep Yadav ahead of the T20 World Cup this year from February 7.
Rohit, who broke India's trophy drought back in 2024, lifting the T20 World Cup, the team's first ICC title since ICC Champions Trophy 2013, was speaking on JioHotstar on the programme, 'Captain Rohit Sharma's Roadmap'.
During the conversation in that programme, Rohit spoke about his Indian and Mumbai Indians (MI) teammate Tilak, saying that he is already showing signs of being a "big match player".
"I think he has something different. Attitude is superb. The temperament is, most importantly, the knock in the Asia Cup final (against Pakistan last year), unbelievable. He is already showing signs that he is a big match player," he said.
Tilak's presence will be crucial for India at the top of the order in the T20 World Cup, having made 1,183 runs in 40 matches and 37 innings at an average of 49.29, with a strike rate of 144.09, including two centuries and six fifties. At number three, he brings a very Virat Kohli-esque game, capable of switching between stabilisation and acceleration, or vice versa, within a jiffy. In 15 innings at number three, he has made 542 runs at an average of 60.22 and a strike rate of over 160, including two centuries and three fifties in 15 innings and a best score of 120*.
While he scored two back-to-back centuries in South Africa back in 2024-end, his knock against Pakistan of 69* in the Asia Cup remains a crown jewel, helping his side in a tense run-chase of 147 runs, batting at number four, where he is just as adept, with 490 runs in 14 innings at an average of 54.44, a strike rate of over 128 and two fifties. (ANI)
Speaking on offering advice to team's star spinner Kuldeep Yadav, a crucial cog of the Indian set-up leading into the tournament, Rohit hilariously adviced him to 'just bowl' and not appeal on every delivery.
"Koi advice nahi hai bhaisahab ko. Chup chaap apna ball daal. Aur peeche ja, on every ball you cannot appeal yaar. (No advice to this guy. Just bowl and go back. You cannot appeal on every ball)," said the 'Hitman hilariously.
In 50 T20Is for India, he has taken 90 wickets at an average of 13.17 and an economy rate of 6.82, with best figures of 5/17, including three four-wicket hauls and two four-fers. He was the leading wicket-taker in the team's Asia Cup last year, with 17 wickets in seven matches at an average of 9.29, with two four-fers in a memorable title-winning campaign.
India is a part of Group A with arch-rivals Pakistan, Namibia, the Netherlands and the USA and will start their campaign against the USA in Mumbai on February 7. The clash with arch-rivals Pakistan will take place at Colombo on February 15.
If Team India pulls off a successful title defence, they will become the first team to defend their T20 WC title, and this will mark their third T20 WC trophy, making them the most successful team in the tournament's history.
India T20 WC squad: Suryakumar Yadav (c), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Rinku Singh. (ANI)