Christchurch, October 24, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
India vice-captain Tilak Varma revealed that head coach Gautam Gambhir and batting coach Sitanshu Kotak inspired him with a special message before his match-winning unbeaten half-century against New Zealand in the second T20I at Hagley Oval on Saturday.
Tilak smashed an unbeaten 51 off just 26 deliveries, while Nitish Kumar Reddy contributed an unbeaten 26 off 13 balls as India chased down the target of 181 with four wickets in hand and one ball remaining. Their unbeaten 69-run partnership rescued India from a difficult position and helped the visitors take a 2-0 lead in the five-match series.
Recognised for his composure under pressure, Tilak was named Player of the Match. During the post-match presentation, he explained how the words of Gambhir and Kotak helped shape his approach after India lost five wickets.
“Just before today’s game, I was talking with coach Gautam sir and Sitanshu Kotak sir. I was talking with both of them, and they said one thing: ‘We all believe, and the whole of India believes in you. If you stay till the end, then you will win the game for us’,” Tilak said.
He added that the message stayed with him throughout the innings and encouraged him to take the chase as deep as possible.
“That’s what was going through my mind. I wanted to take the game as deep as possible, and at the end of the day, again, what everyone has believed and has done. So I’m really proud of myself,” he said.
India were in serious trouble at 70/5 after 10.5 overs when Tilak was joined by Naman Dhir. The pair revived the chase with a 42-run partnership for the sixth wicket, with Naman contributing 31 off 17 balls.
Tilak said he had urged Naman to stay at the crease and keep the scoreboard moving, particularly because the surface was slower than in the previous match.
“I was telling Naman that we’ll stay till the end, and especially the wicket was slightly slower today, compared to the last game. So, I was telling Naman that we’ll push hard in running between the wickets when spinners were bowling,” he said.
The left-hander praised Naman’s contribution, noting that his dismissal in Mitchell Santner’s final over prevented the pair from potentially finishing the match earlier.
“Credit goes to Naman as well, the way he batted,” Tilak added.
Santner claimed four wickets for New Zealand, but his final over brought Tilak and Nitish together at the crease. The two Hyderabad-born players then combined to complete the chase without losing another wicket.
“After that, you know, the Hyderabadi boys are in play today, Nitish Reddy and myself, and we are really happy that we finished the game,” Tilak said.
With the pitch offering assistance to the spinners, Tilak explained that India’s strategy was to take calculated risks, find gaps and run aggressively between the wickets rather than attempt big shots on every delivery.
“We thought that we’d put that intent when they bowl in our arc. We’ll go. Otherwise, we want to just push it in the gaps, and we want to run hard,” he said.
Tilak added that the pair managed to collect crucial runs through twos against the spinners before capitalising on the pace offered by the fast bowlers.
“We played smartly there, and later on we knew that we could hit sixes against the fast bowlers. We needed that pace in this huge ground. So we were waiting for that, and we finished off in style,” he said.
The victory strengthened India’s grip on the series, with Tilak once again demonstrating his ability to deliver under pressure in a high-stakes chase.
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