WATCH: Tilak Varma Picks Maiden Wicket Off His 2nd Ball In International Cricket; Mumbai Indians Ask 'Is There Anything...'

Tilak finished as the leading run-scorer for India in T20I series vs West Indies, stroking 173 runs in 5 innings and also ended up with a wicket in the fifth and last match.

Tilak Varma. (Source: Twitter)

India's Tilak Varna touches everything and turns them into gold. This is exactly what happened in the T20 series vs West Indies. Tilak finished as India's leading run-scorer in the series with a total of 173 runs from 5 matches. Except the 5th T20I, Tilak performed in every match. He struck his maiden T20I fifty in the second match. In the 5th T20I, Hardik Pandya offered him to bowl an over and the youngster latched on to the opportunity and made most of it too.

On just the second ball of his international career, Tilak picked up his first wicket, in form of Nicholas Pooran. Tilak, who is an off-break bowler, bowled a nice flighted delivery, inviting Pooran to go after him. Pooran tried to reverse-sweep Tilak but the ball ende dup taking the edge off the toe end of the bat and went to Hardik at first slip. This was the second wicket to fall as dangerous-looking Pooran walked back to the dressing room.

Watch the Tilak Varma's first wicket here:

Whatever he touches turns to gold __

Tilak Varma _ can't do no wrong as he picks up the big wicket of Nicholas Pooran __ #WIvIND #SabJawaabMilenge #JioCinema pic.twitter.com/5lFHAP4lml — JioCinema (@JioCinema) August 13, 2023

Despite Tilak's brilliance in the series, India could not manage to win it. In fact, this was India's first loss across all formats, in any series, in 17 years. Also, the first loss in a T20I series since 2017. Fair to say, India's T20 World Cup plans are still not clear and the Men In Blue may have to rejig the squad in times to come.

It will be interesting to see how the India go in the three-match series vs Ireland. There is no Hardik Pandya, Shubman Gill, Ishan Kishan, Kuldeep Yadav or Yuzvendra Chahal over there. India will benefit from he fact that Jasprit Bumrah is back from injury and so is Prasidh Krishna. BCCI will keep a close eye on their fitness levels in the series. 

Coming to the loss against West Indies, captain Hardik Pandya says it is 'fine' to lose series because it is part of the 'process'. "We lost the momentum when I came in and couldn't capitalize on the situation. I believe we gonna challenge ourselves. We try to get better. In hindsight, it is fine. We don't need to explain much. I know how the boys are within the group. We have enough time to figure out. Losing is good at times. On the positive side, we have done a lot of learnings. The boys showed character. Credit to them. They kept coming and tried something new. It is part of the process," said Hardik after losing the series 3-2.