Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif lauded Mumbai Indians batter (MI) Tilak Varma's batting during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 match against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) on Sunday, April 2, in Bengaluru. Varma hit an unbeaten 84 off just 46 balls to help MI post a competitive total of 171 runs in 20 overs. However, his knock went in vain, as Faf du Plessis and Co. cruised to an eight-wicket victory with 22 balls to spare.
The former batter lauded the youngster, for having an all-around game in their IPL 2023 opening match. The 42-year-old also pointed out that the helicopter shot Varma played had glimpses of former India skipper, Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Moreover, he did not shy away from calling a mirrored replication of the legendary world champion.
"Leg side is his strong suit. He uses his bottom hand but he makes room as well, hits sixes straight down the ground and plays the scoop shot. So it is not that he can only score on the leg side. The helicopter shot - if you watch it through a mirror, you will feel it is MS Dhoni because you will see him as a right-hander there," Kaif said during a post-match discussion on Star Sports.
Mumbai were losing matches continuously but his bat kept on firing: Kaif
Mohammad Kaif noted that the 20-year-old batter stood out during the Mumbai Indians' disastrous season last year and has continued his sublime touch in their first IPL 2023 game. In the 2022 edition, Tilak Varma scored 397 runs from 14 matches with an impressive strike rate of 131.02. Notably, it was his maiden season in the lucrative league.
"The most difficult time was last year. Mumbai were struggling and were losing matches continuously but his bat kept on firing. So he showed that he has courage. He played for the first time for the Mumbai Indians and scored regularly and he continued that form here," Kaif added.
MI did not get off to a good start in the IPL 2023, having lost to RCB by eight wickets in their first match. The five-time champions will next face their fiercest rivals, the Chennai Super Kings (CSK), at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, on April 8.
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