'Tilak Varma is the next BIG thing in Indian Cricket. Wow! What an incredible match-winning innings!'
Tilak Varma emerged as the hero in Chennai, guiding India to a thrilling two-wicket win over England in the second T20I.
Chasing 166, India found themselves struggling at 126/7, but the 22-year-old southpaw stood tall, anchoring the innings with an unbeaten 72 off 55 balls, including four fours and five stunning sixes. He led India to victory with four balls to spare, taking a 2-0 lead in the five-match series.
During his remarkable knock, Tilak etched his name in the record books. He became the first batter in history to score over 300 T20I runs without being dismissed, extending his unbeaten streak to four consecutive innings -- 107*, 120*, 19*, and 72*.
With a total of 318 runs, Tilak surpassed New Zealand's Mark Chapman, setting a new world record.
He also broke Virat Kohli's record for the most runs by an Indian batter in four consecutive T20I innings, surpassing Kohli's 258 runs with his own 318.
On a slow Chepauk pitch, Tilak displayed immense composure, crafting his innings methodically while taking calculated risks to keep the scoreboard ticking. His ability to manage pressure, especially while batting with the tail, earned him widespread praise.
The turning point came in the 16th over when Tilak took on England's star bowler Jofra Archer. He smashed Archer for 19 runs, including four massive sixes, one of which -- a stunning pick-up flick over deep fine leg -- left the crowd and commentators in awe.
Archer, who conceded 60 runs in his four overs, had no answer to Tilak's brilliance.
Ravichandran Ashwin praised Tilak's composure under pressure, tweeting, 'Match-winning knock, Handling pressure, Decision-making, Tempo & choosing his match-ups -- Tilak Varma,' Ashwin posted on X.
Former opener Wasim Jaffer highlighted Tilak's assault on Archer as the turning point of the game, 'Excellent innings by Tilak. Got India back on track from 78/5, kept his cool till the end. Taking 19 runs off the 16th over bowled by Jofra Archer was the turning point. Well played @TilakV9,' Jaffer tweeted.
Captain Suryakumar Yadav showed his admiration with a heartfelt gesture, bowing in respect to Tilak after the match.
Tilak reciprocated the gesture, which former India cricketer Manoj Tiwary described as symbolic of the night, 'This picture sums up the night! What an innings... #TilakVarma is the next BIG thing in #IndianCricket. Wow! What an incredible match-winning innings!' Tiwary posted on X.
Aakash Chopra, former India cricketer and commentator, hailed 'Tilak Varma, the superstar.'
'We sometimes call someone a superstar very early. I am not saying that he is already a superstar, but he is on the way,' Chopra said in a YouTube video.
Chopra commended Tilak's decision-making in crunch situations, particularly in the final overs. 'He didn't throw away his wicket even when 18 runs were required with eight wickets down. Despite hitting five sixes earlier, he chose to take the game deep.
'The match was at Chepauk, Dhoni's home, and he chased like Dhoni would -- calmly and with precision.'
Tilak Varma's masterclass strengthened his position as a reliable middle order batter in T20Is. With every innings, he's inching closer to filling the void left by Virat Kohli at No. 3, showing the cricketing world that he is ready to step into the shoes of a legend.
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