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'I Love To Finish Games...': Tilak Varma Relives His Heroics Against England

Soumyajit Dutta∙ Updated: Jan 26 2025, 11:28 AM

Tilak Varma scored an unbeaten 72 against England in 2nd T20I [Source: @TilakV9/X.com]Tilak Varma scored an unbeaten 72 against England in 2nd T20I [Source: @TilakV9/X.com]

India’s T20 dominance continued as they secured a thrilling two-wicket victory over England in the second T20I at Chennai’s iconic Chepauk Stadium, thanks to Tilak Varma's heroics. The Indian bowlers, led by Axar Patel and Varun Chakravarthy, dominated England’s batting lineup, restricting them to a below-par total of 165. 

While Jos Buttler’s 45 and Brydon Carse’s late cameo of 31 off 17 deliveries kept England afloat, they struggled to find partnerships against India’s spin magic. In reply, India’s chase faced hiccups as Brydon Carse wreaked havoc with a three-wicket haul, but a heroic batting effort led the team over the line.

Tilak Varma’s Resilient Knock

When India was struggling at 30/3, Tilak Varma stepped in and delivered one of the most impactful knocks of his career. His unbeaten 72 off 55 balls, laced with five boundaries and three sixes, steadied the innings amidst relentless pressure. 

Tilak displayed remarkable composure to inch India closer to the target. He accelerated when needed and turned the tide, sealing the match and the series for India.

Varma Opens Up After England Heroics

The match was a stellar knock for Tilak to remember forever. In a post-match interaction, Varma shared his thoughts on the knock reliving his South Africa series heroics against England.

"I love to finish games. When I got opportunities before, I was doing well with the bat but couldn't finish the games. So I thought it's a good opportunity now and I played trusting on our gameplan."

For the unaware, Tilak became India's second centurion in the T20I format with an excellent 107*(56) against the Proteas.

In the match, Tilak scored 72 runs and coincidentally his jersey number was also 72. While passing by the media interaction, Suryakumar Yadav remarked on this astonishing fact. 

"Number bhi 72, score bhi 72!"

To which, Varma replied, "I was only focusing on finishing the game and after we won the match I saw that my score was 72 and my jersey number was also 72." 

Tilak Varma Shines With Stellar Form

Tilak Varma’s recent performances have cemented his reputation as a reliable match-winner. In the T20 series against South Africa in late 2024, he amassed 280 runs across four innings at an astounding average of 140.00 and a strike rate of 198.58. His scores included two sensational centuries, 120 off 47 balls in the fourth T20I and 107 off 56 in the third. 

Tilak Varma's recent form also remains impressive, before his heroics against England, he kept racking up a consistent string of scores in domestic cricket, including a 99 against Karnataka in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. With such performances, Tilak Varma continues to be a vital cog in India’s T20 setup, showcasing his ability to deliver under pressure and thrive against top-quality opponents.