Indian cricketer Tilak Varma made history by becoming the youngest player to score a century in T20 Internationals against South Africa. He achieved this remarkable feat during the third T20I match against South Africa at SuperSport Park in Centurion on Wednesday. Tilak scored the century at just 22 years and 5 days age.
Tilak Varma’s Maiden Century
Tilak Varma reached his maiden T20I century in just 51 balls, showcasing his explosive batting skills. His innings included eight fours and seven sixes. It helped India post a formidable total of 219 runs at the end of their 20 overs.
The match began with an early setback for India as Sanju Samson was dismissed for a duck by Marco Jansen in the first over. However, Varma quickly steadied the ship alongside fellow left-hander Abhishek Sharma. The duo forged a crucial 107-run partnership for the second wicket. Their partnership came off in just 52 balls, propelling India to 100 runs in only 8.1 overs.
Key Partnerships for India
Despite losing two quick wickets shortly after, including Abhishek and Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak maintained his composure. He then partnered with Rinku Singh. The duo added 58 runs in just 30 balls for the fifth wicket. While Rinku played a supporting role, contributing 8 runs off 13 balls, Tilak dominated the partnership with his aggressive batting.
“Tilak and Abhishek stitched a brilliant partnership of 107 runs for the second wicket,” noted analysts following the match. Keshav Maharaj and Andile Simelane were South Africa’s standout bowlers, each taking two wickets.
Match Report
India capitalized on favorable conditions and an excellent pitch for batting. At one point, it seemed they could exceed 230 runs. However, South Africa managed to pull things back with timely wickets. Despite Samson’s consecutive ducks, Varma and Abhishek attacked from the start during the powerplay.
The two left-handers set a blazing pace, scoring rapidly and putting pressure on South African bowlers. However, after losing several wickets, India needed to regroup. A strategic time-out allowed Tilak to reset and unleash a flurry of boundaries that propelled him to his historic century.
Tilak’s innings culminated in an unbeaten 107 runs off just 56 balls. He brought up his century in the penultimate over of the innings and helped India surpass the 200-run mark. However, Marco Jansen’s impressive final over restricted India from breaching 220 runs.
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