India all-rounder Tilak Varma, who recently returned to action after recovering from injury, expressed heartfelt gratitude to the BCCI and the Centre of Excellence (CoE) for fast-tracking his comeback ahead of the T20 World Cup. Drawing inspiration from the aggressive batting around him, Tilak said the atmosphere within the team was electric and insisted that both he and the Indian squad feel fully prepared for the global event. The 21-year-old also admitted that the packed DY Patil Stadium and the crowd chanting his name during a warm-up match gave him a massive confidence boost as India beat South Africa by 30 runs in Navi Mumbai on Wednesday.

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Tilak revealed that he had not expected to return to competitive action so soon and credited the support staff for making it possible. “I honestly didn’t expect to be back on the field this early. I’m really thankful to the CoE and the BCCI. Playing in the World Cup has always been my biggest dream,” Tilak said in a video posted by bcci.tv. “When I walked out, and everyone was shouting ‘Tilak, Tilak’, it felt really special. Even though it was just a warm-up game, the stadium was fully packed, and the vibe was terrific.”

Opting to bat first, India put on a dominant batting display, led by Ishan Kishan’s explosive 53 off just 20 balls. Kishan and Abhishek Sharma provided a flying start, racing to 80 for one inside six overs before retiring out to give other batters time in the middle.

Tilak continued the onslaught with a rapid 45 off 19 deliveries, sharing a 66-run partnership with captain Suryakumar Yadav. Late cameos from Axar Patel, Rinku Singh and a blistering 30 off 10 balls from Hardik Pandya powered India to an imposing total of 240 for five.

South Africa’s chase never quite gathered momentum. Arshdeep Singh struck early by dismissing George Linde for a duck, while Aiden Markram and Ryan Rickelton briefly revived hopes with a 65-run stand. However, Markram’s retirement and quick wickets of Rickelton, Dewald Brevis and David Miller swung the game decisively in India’s favour. Despite resistance from Jason Smith, Tristan Stubbs and Marco Jansen, South Africa fell short by 30 runs.

India will now shift their focus to their T20 World Cup opener against the USA on Saturday, buoyed by a commanding warm-up win and growing confidence within the squad.