Former Indian batting coach Sanjay Bangar believes Tilak Varma’s batting stance is too side-on, which is leading to his downfall in the ongoing T20 World Cup. Varma scored 31 runs off 27 balls against the Netherlands at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad on Wednesday.
In the first three games of the tournament, the left-hander scored 25 runs in each of the innings. Thus, Varma has been getting off to starts but he hasn’t been able to convert them into substantial scores.
The southpaw has scored 106 runs in four matches of the competition at an average of 26.50 and a mundane strike rate of 120.45.
Recalling the scouting time, Bangar said he had noted that Varma was playing with a side-on stance.
Bangar said on ESPN Cricinfo, “It takes my mind back to the talent scouting. At that point of time, I was with RCB and we were going through the footage of plenty of left-handers. We were looking at Anuj Rawat, Sai Sudharsan and Tilak. And, that point, I felt that he is far too side-on. He’s gotten better at handling that. But there is merit in that suggestion.
“T20 is a game where it’s desirable to have a slightly open stance, which gives you the fundamentals to even flat-bat straight down the ground,” the former India batting coach went on to add.
The former RCB head coach said Varma’s form is not a worry but highlighted that he has been coming into bat in the first over itself in three out of four games of the World Cup.
“I don’t think [Varma’s form is a worry], because if he has to come and bat when India is 60-1… He’s always walked into bat in this tournament in the first over. I am still not happy to come to that conclusion.”
Bangar believes the team management can swap Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma’s batting positions in the Super 8 stage.
“From a tactical point of view and to break this pattern [of losing a wicket in the first over], you have to be a little bit proactive. That is the only logical conclusion that I arrived at.”
India will take on South Africa in their opening game of the Super 8 stage at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, on Sunday.
