NEW DELHI: Teammate Tilak Varma has come out in support of struggling India T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav, saying he "needs just one innings" to regain the form that once saw him dominate bowlers like a marauder.

Tilak also praised Jasprit Bumrah and Varun Chakravarthy as India's "go-to" bowlers, following their pivotal roles in securing a 30-run victory in the fifth T20I against South Africa, which sealed a 3-1 series win for India in Ahmedabad on Friday.

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"I was just saying (to him) that just middle a few balls, just wait and just be calm and take the few balls' times," Tilak told reporters.

"If (the) team wants I can get going from the other side, (but) you just be on the crease and take some time. Take the feel of the middle of the bat, that's what I was talking to him."

Tilak's 73 off 42 balls, combined with a 105-run partnership with Hardik Pandya (63), propelled India to a total of 231/5. In response, South Africa managed 201/8.

Although several Indian batters, including Abhishek Sharma (34) and Sanju Samson (37), made useful contributions, Suryakumar's 5 runs off 7 balls added yet another low score to his recent string of struggles.

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Tilak said of Surya, "If he gets that confidence then he will be... everyone has watched him, how he can play, so I think at this time if he takes a few balls at that moment, I would not say (to him to) just (try) going over the fielder."

"But I was just saying (to him) that try finding the gaps. If you can pierce the field well from your bat, you get a good feel about it and after that you are going to hit. It was not his day, but everyone is waiting for that one innings, if he gets that one innings then everyone knows how dangerous he can be," Tilak added.

While Suryakumar has enjoyed a rich vein of form for Mumbai Indians - scoring at least 25 runs in 16 consecutive IPL innings - his T20I numbers in 2025 tell a different story, with just 218 runs in 19 innings at an average of 13.62 and not a single half-century.

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Tilak said Bumrah and Chakravarthy, who shared six wickets between them, are India's go-to bowlers in the format.

"Comparing to other fast bowlers, everyone knows that Jasprit Bumrah has that extra (sting) in his bowling. The same way, I would also say that Varun Chakravarthy has that extra something in his bowling, (with) which he can take wickets anytime," Tilak said.

"These two bowlers are go-to bowlers whenever the team needs a wicket, they will do that and that's what Varun has shown in the whole series, especially today when we were under pressure, he took that two wickets in an over," he added.

Talking about Hardik Pandya's rapid half-century off 16 balls - the second fastest for India in T20Is - Tilak said he was able to middle every delivery.

"It was very good to watch from (the) non-striker's (end), it was incredible batting by him. The way he was hitting every ball (was coming off) right from the middle of the bat and it was fantastic innings by him," he said.

"The partnership and the way he batted was very crucial on this wicket and the way he showed intent right from the first ball, it was very good to watch."

"The way Varun is doing consistently for the team, (it) is good to watch and that's what makes him a world No 1 T20 bowler, so he is high in confidence (and) touch wood he should be doing that till the World Cup," Tilak added.

Tilak said the pitch was conducive enough to attack from the first ball.

"I had seen the first few overs the way Abhishek and Sanju batted, so it had been a good wicket, so I just want to get going right from the first ball," he said.

"I just want to finish the game and play according to the situation. If the team needs to bat at the highest strike rate, then I will do that, (and) if team wants me to just finish the game, then I will play like that," he added.

(With PTI Inputs)