'Conditions were challenging': Tilak Varma reveals what went wrong for India in Ireland and England

TOI Sports Desk

yahoo sports|24-07-2026

Tilak Varma isn't making excuses, but he's being honest. India's T20I vice-captain has opened up about what went wrong during the team's difficult tour of the British Isles, where they managed just one win across ten matches and lost back-to-back series to Ireland and England.

Speaking ahead of the Zimbabwe T20Is, Tilak pointed to the stark contrast in conditions as a major factor. "For the last two years, we've mostly been playing in Asia," he explained. "Then suddenly we had to compete in overseas conditions against a very strong England side whom we'd already seen in the World Cup semi-final. That was always going to be tough."

The left-hander, however, refused to dwell on the results. Instead, he rallied behind captain Shreyas Iyer and stressed the importance of staying calm under pressure. "Results will go up and down," he said. "What matters is how we build a good environment and back every individual. The last series was a good learning experience, and now we want to execute those learnings and bring back the momentum."

For a team that's dominated at home, this tour was a reality check. But Tilak's message is clear: setbacks are temporary, and the focus remains firmly on the road ahead.