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Freedom251 › Blog › Asian Games 2026

What Sanjay Manjrekar Said About Tilak Varma Ahead of the India–Pakistan Asian Games Final

By Freedom251 Team · · 2 min read

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Sanjay Manjrekar’s reported advice to Tilak Varma was to bat at No. 5 or 6—not to “show that you are unhappy.” In a preview of India’s Asian Games men’s cricket final against Pakistan, The New Indian Express quoted the former India batter saying Varma can take time to settle at the top of the order and may be better suited to a late-innings role. The report does not verify the “show that you are unhappy” wording in the supplied headline.

What did Manjrekar say about Tilak Varma?

Manjrekar said he liked Varma in the middle order, specifically at No. 5 or 6. In an interaction facilitated by Sony Sports Network, he told The New Indian Express: “To be honest, whenever I’ve seen Tilak bat at the top of the order, he needs a little time to get going — he’s not someone who starts striking immediately. I really like him down at No 5 and 6.”

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He also said it was unfair that Axar Patel and Shivam Dube had batted ahead of Varma in the previous game, while arguing that Varma could benefit from batting later, when the opposition’s bowlers were feeling pressure. The comments appeared in the outlet’s October 2, 2026 preview of the India–Pakistan gold-medal match.

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Why did he favor No. 5 or 6?

Manjrekar’s reasoning was about role and timing. He said Varma may need a little time to get going when opening or batting near the top. At No. 5 or 6, he could instead enter later and contribute in a finishing role, with the bowling side under pressure near the end of a T20 innings.

That view is a tactical opinion, not a claim that Varma cannot bat in the top four. The same report described him as generally regarded as a top-four batter, while noting that India had moved him around the order.

What was the batting-order context before the final?

India had brought Vaibhav Sooryavanshi into the lineup for the semifinal against Sri Lanka. The change pushed several batters down the order, and Varma—India’s designated vice-captain—batted below Axar Patel. Manjrekar objected to Axar and Dube being sent ahead of Varma in that match, even though he also said he liked Varma lower in the order.

Those points are not necessarily contradictory: Manjrekar supported Varma as a middle-order option, but still considered the specific semifinal decision to send Axar and Dube ahead of him unfair.

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Was “show that you are unhappy” Manjrekar’s advice?

The directly relevant report does not include that phrase or attribute such advice to Manjrekar. It supports advice about Varma’s batting position and role, not a suggestion that he display unhappiness. Without a separate attributable interview or clip, the headline wording should not be treated as a verified quote.

A separate The Indian Express article published on February 19, 2026 covered former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan’s criticism of Varma’s strike rate after a T20 World Cup innings against the Netherlands. Pathan’s comments concerned that innings and a possible batting-order adjustment; they do not establish the “show that you are unhappy” phrase. The Indian Express report identifies Pathan, not Manjrekar, as the speaker.

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When was the India–Pakistan Asian Games final?

The preview said the Asian Games men’s cricket gold-medal match between India and Pakistan was scheduled for Saturday, October 3, 2026. Its viewing information was time- and market-sensitive; consult current local listings for broadcast or streaming availability.

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Asian Games 2026CricketIndia vs PakistanSanjay ManjrekarTilak Varma

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