A method for recovering files from a filesystem stored across sparse files in a cloud environment is described. According to the method, a data management system may receive a request to read the files. The data management system may identify one or more target address ranges corresponding to the files indicated via the request. The data management system may read index information for the sparse files in the cloud environment. The index information may indicate respective address ranges for data blocks within the sparse files. The data management system may identify one or more data blocks within one or more sparse files as corresponding to address ranges that overlap with the one or more target address ranges based on the index information. The data management system may transmit, to the cloud environment, one or more read requests for the identified one or more data blocks.