Tilak Varma, Mukesh Kumar make international debut during India's 1st T20I against West Indies
Aug 03, 2023
Tarouba [Trinidad and Tobago], August 3 : Mumbai Indians (MI) batter Tilak Varma will be making his international debut while Bengal and Delhi Capitals (DC) pacer Mukesh Kumar will be making his T20I debut for India during the first T20I against West Indies at Tarouba on Thursday.
India and West Indies will be locking horns in the first T20I of the five-match series at Tarouba.
"Two debutants for #TeamIndia today. Tilak Varma and Mukesh Kumar are all set to make their T20I debuts for India Go well, boys. #WIvIND," tweeted Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
Tilak has been a brilliant find for MI in the 2020s decade. In his debut season in 2022, which saw MI finish at the bottom, he scored 397 runs in 14 matches at an average of 36.09, with a strike rate of 131.02. He scored two half-centuries, with best score of 61. In his second season this year with the Blue and Gold side, he scored 343 runs in 11 matches at an average of 42.88 and a strike rate of above 164. He scored one half-century, a gutsy knock of 84* against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).
Tilak has played 47 T20s in total, scoring 1,418 runs at an average of 37.31 at a strike rate over 142. He has ten half-centuries in the format, with the best score of 84*. He represents Hyderabad in domestic cricket.
Mukesh has played 33 T20s, in which he has taken 32 wickets with the best figures of 3/12. He played 10 matches for DC in IPL 2023, taking seven wickets with best bowling figures of 2/30.
He also made his Test debut and ODI debuts during this West Indies tour. He has played one Test, taking two wickets, with best figures of 2/48. In three ODIs, he has taken four wickets, with the best figures of 3/30.
Coming to the match, West Indies has won the toss and opted to bat first.
India (Playing XI): Shubman Gill, Ishan Kishan(w), Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya(c), Sanju Samson, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Mukesh Kumar.
West Indies (Playing XI): Kyle Mayers, Brandon King, Johnson Charles(w), Nicholas Pooran, Shimron Hetmyer, Rovman Powell(c), Jason Holder, Romario Shepherd, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Obed McCoy.
