Tilak Verma responded to the criticism (Image: ANI)

India’s T20I vice-captain Tilak Verma Hitting back at criticism over his strike rate during the recent T20 tours of Ireland and England, he insisted he always bats according to the needs of the team rather than individual achievements.The left-handed batsman faced scrutiny after scoring 178 runs at a strike rate of 131.85 in seven T20Is across two tours. While he recorded two half-centuries of 55 against Ireland in the second T20I and 53 against England in the fifth and final T20I, questions were raised about his approach in the middle overs.However, ahead of India’s T20I series against Zimbabwe, Tilak made it clear that he is capable of attacking from the very first ball but chooses his approach depending on the match situation and the needs of the team.

‘I can hit with the first ball, but I play according to the situation’

Explaining his batting philosophy, Tilak said that he needs to take responsibility to adapt to different batting situations and overseas conditions rather than chasing aggressive strike rates.During the pre-match press conference, Tilak told reporters, “In this game, you have to bat in different positions, and especially in those conditions, it is not easy. Also, I have always said that whatever the team needs, I do that. If I have to do something for the team, I will do that. If I have to hit with the first ball, I can do that too.”The 23-year-old pointed out that India’s top order collapsed repeatedly on the Ireland and England tours, forcing the middle order to rebuild the innings rather than playing freely.“From Ireland to England, we were losing four or five wickets inside the powerplay or within the first 10 overs in many matches. There is no point in going in and trying to increase speed immediately in that situation. He is always on my mind. I know I can hit the first ball, but I am playing for the country and that comes with responsibilities.”

‘Team planning comes before personal statistics’

Tilak further revealed that as India’s vice-captain, he is assigned specific responsibilities by the team management and he prefers to execute those plans rather than focusing on individual statistics.Tilak said, “Everything depends on what the team needs at that time. Sometimes I have to bat till the end and sometimes the team’s plans change as per the match situation. As the vice-captain, the management gives me certain responsibilities after careful planning and I want to fulfill those responsibilities. So I play as per the team’s plans.”

Strike rate of 131 in UK Tour

Tilak Verma finished the 2026 UK and Ireland tour with an overall T20I strike rate of 131.85, scoring 178 runs off 135 balls. While his tour included highly explosive cameos, such as a blistering strike rate of 212.00 (53 off 25 balls) in the final T20I in Southampton.