New Delhi, Aug. 10 -- MUMBAI - Even by Indian cricket standards, the crowd at Brabourne on August 6 was operating at a different frequency. Tilak Varma, who at 21 has already batted through full-capacity IPL grounds without visible anxiety, walked off the field after India's warm-up against South Africa and admitted the reception had surprised him. That detail - a professional cricketer genuinely startled by a pre-tournament friendly - says everything about what the ICC Men's T20 World Cup means when it comes home to India.

India won the warm-up comfortably, with Varma among the batting contributors as Suryakumar Yadav's side used the Mumbai fixture to arrive mentally, not just physically, at what would become their most convincing run t...