- विज्ञापन -
Johannesburg: Indian cricketer Tilak Varma emerged as the standout performer in the recent T20I series against South Africa, scoring consecutive centuries in the final two matches that propelled India to a decisive 3-1 series victory.
After scoring his first T20I century in the third match at Centurion, Varma surpassed his previous performance in the final game, delivering a stunning knock that included 10 sixes and nine fours for an unbeaten 120 runs off just 47 balls. His opening partner, Sanju Samson, also impressed with a 56-ball century, scoring 109 not out, as India posted an impressive total of 283 runs in their 20 overs.
The South African batting lineup struggled in response to the massive target, getting bowled out for just 148 runs in 18.2 overs. Arshdeep Singh took three wickets, while Varun Chakaravarthy and Axar Patel claimed two wickets each. India won the match by 135 runs, marking their third-largest victory margin in T20I history, and it was the largest defeat by runs for South Africa in this format.
In the post-match presentation, Tilak humorously recounted his experience from last year when he was dismissed by the first ball in a similar match. He emphasized the importance of his innings in contributing to the team’s success and the series win. “I just wanted to maintain my form and stick to the basics, as I did in the last game. I felt calm throughout,” he said. “This is an unbelievable feeling; I never thought I would score two centuries in South Africa under such challenging conditions. I also want to thank our captain Surya for his support. I have faith in God and my processes, and that’s why I celebrated my achievement like that.”
Tilak was awarded both Player of the Match and Player of the Series for scoring a total of 280 runs across four innings, leading the run charts.
India made history that night in Johannesburg, achieving several records. With a total of 23 sixes in their innings, they attained the third-highest number of sixes in a T20I match and the most ever in a T20I between two Full Member nations. The partnership of 210 runs between Varma and Samson is now the highest for any wicket for India in T20I cricket. With this match and their earlier total of 297 against Bangladesh, India holds the top two records for the highest scores in T20Is between Full Member sides.
