SportsPosted at: Oct 24 2026 5:46PM


Gambhir's backing fuels Tilak’s match-winning effort

Christchurch, Oct 24 (UNI) A message of belief from head coach Gautam Gambhir and batting coach Sitanshu Kotak gave Tilak Varma the conviction to stay till the end and steer India to victory against New Zealand in the second T20 International, the left-hander revealed after being named Player of the Match.
With India losing five wickets in the chase, Tilak said his priority was to bat deep rather than panic under pressure, drawing confidence from the faith the team management had expressed in him before the match.
“Just before today’s game, I was talking with coach Gautam sir and Sitanshu Kotak sir. They said one thing that we all believe, and the whole India believes in you. If you stay till the end, then you will win the game for us,” Tilak said.
“That’s what was going through my mind. I wanted to take the game as deep as possible. At the end of the day, everyone’s belief has paid off, and I’m really proud of myself,” he added.
The advice became the guiding principle of Tilak’s innings as he resisted the temptation to force the pace and instead concentrated on keeping India in contention until the closing stages.
His partnership with Naman Dhir proved crucial in rebuilding the chase. Tilak said the two batters recognised that the pitch was slower than the one used in the previous match and adjusted their approach accordingly.
“I was telling Naman that we’ll stay till the end. The wicket was slightly slower today compared to the last game, so I told him we would push hard in running between the wickets when the spinners were bowling,” he said.
Rather than attempting big shots against the spinners, the pair focused on finding gaps and turning singles into twos, ensuring the required runs did not climb beyond reach.
Tilak said their running between the wickets yielded four to five additional twos against the spinners, translating into eight to ten valuable runs.
“I think we played smartly there. Later on, we knew that we could hit sixes against the fast bowlers. We needed that pace in this huge ground. We were waiting for that, and we finished off in style,” he said.
The dismissal of Dhir in the final over of Mitchell Santner's spell briefly interrupted the partnership, but Tilak acknowledged his contribution in keeping India on course.
“Credit goes to Naman as well, the way he batted. Unfortunately, Naman got out in the last over of Mitchell Santner. Otherwise, I think we would have finished the game in the 18th over,” he said.
With Dhir's departure, the responsibility fell on Tilak and fellow Hyderabad batter Nitish Kumar Reddy to complete the job.
“The Hyderabadi boys were in play today, Nitish Reddy and myself, and we are really happy that we finished the game,” Tilak said.
New Zealand's bowling resources were also affected during the chase, with Matt Henry leaving the field midway through the innings because of an issue and being unable to complete his quota. Lockie Ferguson was also off the field during the final couple of overs.
For Tilak, however, the defining factor was the clarity of purpose that came from the team management's backing. His approach was built around preserving his wicket, choosing the right moments to attack and ensuring that India remained in control of the chase until the finish.
The innings offered a reminder that in a pressure chase, belief can be as important as aggressive stroke-play — particularly when a batter is entrusted with the responsibility of staying until the end.
UNI BDN
Tags: #Gambhir's backing fuels Tilak’s match-winning effort
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