Is Tilak Varma the new Virat Kohli? Comparing his stats with the chase master after 35 T20Is

Tilak Varma and Virat Kohli for India - (Source: AFP)

On Thursday, December 11, India locked horns against South Africa for the 2nd of the five-match T20I series. The visitors were all over the hosts in the recently concluded game as the Aiden Markram-led side handed India a 51-run defeat. 

For the hosts, Tilak Varma was the only positive with the bat as the left-handed batter amassed 62 (34), which featured two fours and five sixes. Notably, it is not the only instance when Verma has saved India from embarrassment and, in fact, pulled off a miracle during the Asia Cup 2025 final when he slammed an unbeaten 69 (53).

Out of the sudden, the fans are rooting for Tilak to be the next big thing in Indian cricket and be the perfect replacement to Virat Kohli. Similar to Virat, Tilak can be the anchor, aggressor, and also rotate the strike well. 

Most importantly, Tilak plays according to the situation and does not give his wicket away easily. Meanwhile, this article will shed light on the claims of Tilak being the new chase-master and look at his stats while batting first and batting second. 

Also, compare Tilak's stats with Virat Kohli while chasing the innings.

Decoding Tilak Verma's stats after 35 T20I innings

Key Takeaways

• Tilak Varma totally shifts his game when batting first and batting second. He plays according to the situation and the stats clearly states that. 
• Batting first, Varma has 566 runs in 20 innings, averaging 37.73. He has twin centuries and also a half-century. Further, if we look at his average batting second, then his average jumps to 64.75, which means that he totally shifts his game and his focus turns to winning the game for his side.
• Now comin to the strike-rate, Tilak Varma bats freely in the first innings and has a scoring rate of 151.33. However, it drops to 139.62, signifying his dedication for his wicket, which comes at an expense of a slight dip in strike-rate.
• The most interesting data is that while batting first, Tilak has five not-outs, but batting second, out of 15 times, Tilak has remained unbeaten on seven occasions, which means that he stays until the end and make sure to score the winnings runs. 

Decoding Tilak Varma's stats batting second

Tilak has batted second on 15 occassions in his career and out of that, 12 matches have been won by India, which shows Tilak's impact.  When Tilak Varma plays and India bats second, they have a winning percentage of 80%.

Decoding Virat Kohli vs Tilak Varma's stats after 35 T20Is

Notably, after 35 T20Is, Virat Kohli had played 14 innings, batting second and let's look at his stats.  

• Virat Kohli's stats are unreal as the former India T20I batter had 661 runs in 14 innings, averaging a whopping 73.55. Further, he also overshadowed Tilak Varma by slamming seven fifty-plus scores.
• Even with the strike-rate, Virat scored at a rate of 131.67, while Tilak Varma, has suited the modern game with 139.62.

Is Tilak Varma the latest chase-master for India?

It is fair to say that Tilak is rightly on the path to be the Mr. dependable for team India when it comes to chasing. It is true that that he hasn't matched Virat Kohli's legacy, but is well on his course to be the new chase-master for the Men in Blue and must continue to perform in the same manner.