Jan 26, 2025 11:51 AM IST
Tilak Varma remained unbeaten on 72 and helped India chase down the 166-run target.
Tilak Varma showed the cricketing world on Saturday that there is a method to his madness in his batting as he displayed calmness and batted with composure to anchor India’s chase against England in the second T20I. The left-handed batter remained unbeaten on 72 and helped India chase down the 166-run target. His knock brought a glimmer of hope for the Indian team, who were in search of the ideal heir to Virat Kohli in T20Is at number 3, and it seems like Tilak is ready to fill in the big shoes.
The 22-year-old batted well with the tail and took India over the line on the second ball of the last over with two wickets left as India took a 2-0 lead in the five-match series over England. His knock was embellished with 4 fours and 5 sixes.
It wasn’t a typical T20 knock as Tilak read the slow pitch well and played accordingly to take the game deep and also hit boundaries here and there to keep the scoreboard in check.
He attacked England’s main man Jofra Archer, which shifted the momentum in his favour and that of India. He slammed Archer for four sixes, including a scarcely believable pick-up flick over deep fine leg, as the Sussex man leaked 60 runs in his four overs at Chepauk on Saturday.
Veteran India cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin heaped praise on Tilak for handling the pressure and choosing his match-ups to take on the bowlers and delivering a match-winning knock.
“Match winning knock, Handling pressure, Decision making, Tempo & choosing his match ups – Tilak Varma,” R Ashwin posted on X.
‘16th over bowled by Jofra Archer was the turning point’
Former India opener Wasim Jaffer pointed out Varma’s hammering of Archer in the 16th over the turning point of the game.
“Excellent innings by Tilak. Got Ind back on track from 78/5, kept his cool till the end. Taking 19 runs of the 16th over bowled by Jofra Archer was the turning point. Well played @TilakV9,” he wrote on X.
Following his brilliant knock, Team India captain Suryakumar Yadav bowed in admiration of the youngster’s match-winning performance, a gesture that Tilak also promptly reciprocated. Former India cricketer Manoj Tiwary also hailed the gesture and called Tilak as the next big thing in Indian cricket.
“This picture sums up the night! What an innings… #TilakVarma is the next BIG thing in #IndianCricket. Wow! What an incredible match winning innings!” he posted on X.
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