India, Jan. 26 -- Such has been the supply line of batting talent in T20s, there's constant demand to produce something out of the ordinary to retain one's India spot. After all, one has to contend with the explosive Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh and Riyan Parag.

After his brilliant debut against West Indies in 2023, Tilak Varma played most of the series in the lead up to the 2024 T20 World Cup. Without being extraordinary, he was consistent.

When a new look team was picked after India's World Cup win, the Surya-led side started to bat at a higher tempo in South Africa. Samson came into his own and Abhishek Sharma batted only on top gear.

Varma realised that he needed to step up to meet the...