January 26, 2025: Tilak Varma once again proved his composure under pressure, delivering a match-winning knock of 72 off 55 balls* in Chennai to guide India to a thrilling victory over England in the second T20I. Chasing a challenging target of 166, Tilak anchored the innings with maturity, ensuring that India crossed the line in a tense finish.
Reflecting on his performance, Tilak credited his coach, Gautam Gambhir, for the crucial advice that helped him stay focused. “Gautam sir told me in the last innings that when you need 10 runs in an over, you can do that too. When you need 7-8 runs, your role is very crucial. So, you need to stay till the end. No matter how you play, let the non-striker score. Your job is to get one or two boundaries in an over and take singles. If you stay till the end, we win the game,” Tilak shared on Star Sports’ Amul Cricket Live show.
Gambhir’s words of encouragement during a drinks break further reinforced Tilak’s resolve. “He told me this in the last match as well. And even today, during the drinks break, he told me, no matter what happens, you need to play till the end. So, I had it in my mind that I would play till the end. And I believed that I would win the match,” Tilak added, showcasing his mental strength and determination to see his team through.
His innings was a textbook display of composure and adaptability. Tilak mixed quick singles with well-timed boundaries at crucial moments, keeping the scoreboard ticking and managing the chase expertly despite the pressure. His calculated approach, especially with the lower-order batters, allowed India to reach the target with two wickets and four balls to spare.
In the match, England won the toss and elected to bat first. Barring a solid knock from Jos Buttler (45 off 30 balls), the England top order struggled against India’s spin attack. Axar Patel (2/32) and Varun Chakravarthy (2/38) were the standout bowlers as they restricted England to 165/9 in their 20 overs. Some quick cameos from Brydon Carse (31 off 17 balls) and Jamie Smith (22 off 12 balls) ensured England posted a competitive total.
In India’s chase, the team faced early setbacks, with key players like Abhishek Sharma (12), Sanju Samson (4), Suryakumar Yadav (12), Dhruv Jurel (4), and Hardik Pandya (7) falling quickly. At 78/5, Tilak was joined by Washington Sundar (26 off 19 balls), and the two shared a crucial 38-run partnership that helped India get past the 100-run mark. After the dismissals of Sundar and Axar Patel (2), Tilak found valuable partnerships with Arshdeep Singh (4) and Ravi Bishnoi (9*), guiding India to victory.
Despite Carse’s brilliant spell of 3/29 and Adil Rashid‘s economical 1/14, India’s chase was completed, and they secured a 2-0 lead in the five-match series.
Tilak Varma’s stellar performance under pressure, combined with his consistency since his return from injury, reinforces his growing reputation as one of the brightest young talents in Indian cricket.