Before Super 8 Clash, Ashwin’s Message to Indian Batter: ‘Play Like Vaibhav Suryavanshi’

Ravichandran Ashwin stated that Tilak Varma was returning after injury and noted that while people often talk about power and strength, the sweet spot and timing remain the basic elements of batting.

R Ashwin on Tilak Varma: India is all set for a tough test in the Super 8 stage of the T20 World Cup 2026, having navigated the group stage. The defending champions, Team India, will face formidable opponents in the next phase, including the 2024 runners-up, South Africa, along with the West Indies and Zimbabwe. The 2024 World Champions, India, have remained undefeated in the tournament so far. However, several weaknesses have surfaced during this period, which the team needs to address before the Super 8, otherwise, their path to the semi-finals could become challenging.

'India is Difficult to Beat'

Former Indian stalwart R Ashwin, in his show 'Ash Ki Baat', praised the team's consistency and acknowledged that there was no lack of performance against the Netherlands. He explained that Suryakumar Yadav handled the innings cautiously, while Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, and Rinku Singh were ready to accelerate the scoring rate at the right moments. Ashwin emphasised that even when India is not at its best, it is still difficult to defeat them.

'You Can Play Like Vaibhav Suryavanshi'

Ashwin also discussed Tilak Varma's approach in the shortest format, especially as he makes his return from injury. He stressed that success in T20 cricket does not always depend on brute force, highlighting the value of timing and placement.

Ravichandran Ashwin stated that Tilak Varma was returning after injury and noted that while people often talk about power and strength, the sweet spot and timing remain the basic elements of batting. He pointed out that Tilak is not a big power hitter and emphasised that, for him, finding the right timing and consistently hitting the sweet spot are most important. Ashwin added that while one can play like Vaibhav Suryavanshi, it is equally effective to play like Tilak, who relies on timing and picking the gaps intelligently.

India's Super 8 Matches

It is worth noting that India's first Super 8 match will be against South Africa on February 22 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Following this, their second match will be against Zimbabwe on February 26 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, and their final match in this phase will be against the West Indies on March 1 at Eden Gardens in Kolkata.