Former RCB coach Sanjay Bangar has revealed that he felt Tilak Varma’s stance was way too side-on when he saw footage of the southpaw’s batting at a time when the IPL franchise were scouting for left-handers. Bangar admitted that the youngster has improved his technique in recent times, but agreed to a suggestion that having a slightly open stance is desirable in T20 cricket for batters.
While India ended the group stage of T20 World Cup 2026 with four wins out of four matches, Varma has looked scratchy. In four innings, the left-hander batter has scored 106 runs at an average of 26.50 and a strike rate of 120.45, with a best of 31, which came off 27 balls against Netherlands on Wednesday.
During a discussion on ESPNcricinfo, Bangar agreed to an observation that Varma’s stance might have something to do with his struggles. Recalling an incident from his days at RCB in the IPL, he said:
“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 fundamental to even flat-bat straight down the ground,” the former India batting coach went on to add.
Before the match against Netherlands, Varma was dismissed for identical scores of 25 in Team India’s first three group games against United States of America (USA), Namibia and Pakistan respectively.
“He’s always walked into bat in the first over” – Bangar on Varma’s batting challenges in T20 World Cup 2026
Despite Varma’s struggles in the group stage of T20 World Cup 2026, Bangar believes that it is too early to worry about the batter’s form. He opined that things will be easier for the youngster once Abhishek Sharma strikes form. He stated:
“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.”
The 53-year-old also urged Team India to think about moving skipper Suryakumar Yadav up to No. 3 and moving Varma down to No. 4. He explained:
“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.”
Team opener Abhishek has been dismissed for three ducks in three innings in T20 World Cup 2026. He is yet to score a run in the ICC event.
Edited by Renin Wilben Albert
