With his matching winning unbeaten knock of 72 of 55 balls in Chennai, India’s No. 3 batter has compiled 318* runs in his last four T20I innings without being dismissed (107*, 120*, 19*, 72*)

He finds himself on top of the list of international batsmen with most runs between dismissals

Arshdeep Singh named ICC men’s T20I Cricketer of the Year for 2024. He was the leading Indian wicket-taker in T20Is in the year, bagging 36 wickets in just 18 games. He also played a huge part in steering India to the title at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup
https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/india-star-named-icc-men-s-t20i-cricketer-of-the-year-x4918

Champions Trophy approaching, and still no comeback match for Mohd. Shami

It was take-a-bow moment for the new Indian T20 batting sensation Tilak Varma. Displaying remarkable maturity, the 22-year-old left-hander thwarted England and anchored his team to a thrilling 2-wicket win in the second T20 match which went to the wire at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Saturday night. The win gave the home team a 2-0 lead in the 5-match T20I series. The third match of the 5-match series will be played at Rajkot on Tuesday.

With his unbeaten 72 of 55 balls in Chennai, the new T20 sensation has now compiled 318* runs in his last four T20I innings without being dismissed (107*, 120*, 19*, 72*), which places him on the top of the list of international batsmen with most runs between dismissals.

Unlike the Kolkata encounter, which was outrightly one-sided, this one was closely fought with fortunes swinging like a pendulum.

Right from the time Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav won the toss for the second time in the series, and put England in, the visitors’ displayed more persistence in their resolve to restore parity in the series. They looked set to achieve their goal, but for Tilak Varma, who stood rock solid between them and victory, eventually tipping the scale in India’s favour.

Still leaning heavily on captain Buttler

Banking On Though overall their batting performance was not as bad as in Kolkata in the first encounter (they put up a decent total of 165 against 132 in Kolkata), England were again left leaning heavily on their captain Jos Buttler to do bulk of the scoring (45 of 30 balls, 2x4s, 3x6s).

Rest, other than cameos from both the new players drafted into the playing XI – No. 6 batter Jamie Smith, who replaced Jacob Bethell, struck a 12-ball 22; and allrounder Brydon Carse, replacing Gus Atkinson, who had a miserable first outing going for 38 runs of his two overs, playing a cracking innings of 31 of 17 balls at No. 8 before he was unfortunately run out – the script of the previous match was repeated.

Carse had a wonderful outing with the ball as well, claiming three wickets for 29 runs, but his all-round performance got overshadowed by Tilak Varma’s match-winning knock, for which he was also named Player of the Match.

Two forced changes due to injury

India were forced to make two changes from Kolkata due to injury issues, with allrounder Nitish Kumar Reddy ruled out for the rest of the series due to a side strain and injured middle order batter Rinku Singh ruled out for the 2nd and 3rd T20Is due to lower back spasm.

Wicketkeeper-batsman Dhruv Jurel replaced Rinku Singh as a specialist batter and Washington Sundar came in place of Nitish Kumar, further strengthening the spin bowling attack from three in Kolkata to four.

The pitch in Chennai had much less grass on it and was expected to produce a high scoring match, but it was not to be as it later turned out to be somewhat two-paced, making stroke play challenging.

Despite being hit for a first ball four by wicketkeeper-batsman Phil Salt, Arshdeep Singh, straight from a high of being named ICC Men’s T20I Cricketer of the Year for 2024, once again proved true to his reputation, tasting first blood a couple of balls later.

That boundary was the only scoring shot the England opener was to play, as the Indian strike bowler got him in similar fashion as in the first match, to a well-directed bouncer, which the batter skied to be caught in the deep.

However, not getting much movement both in the air and of the pitch, by far the world’s highest T20 wicket-taker in the powerplay with 42 dismissals later got hammered for runs (40 in his 4).

Hardik mixes it up

Unlike in the first match Hardik Pandya, sharing the new ball with Arshdeep, bowled exceptionally well, mixing up his deliveries and keeping the batsmen guessing. Though he got to bowl only two overs (the 2nd and 19th) he gave away only 6 runs and claimed a wicket towards the end, that of No. 10 batsman Adil Rashid (10 runs), who along with No. 9 batter Jofra Archer (12 n.o.) put up some resistance, contributing 20 runs for the 9th wicket.

Spinners’ guile

All the other batsmen again fell to the guile of Indian spinners.

Replacing Hardik for the fourth over of the innings, off spinner Washington Sundar got rid of the other opener left-handed Ben Duckett (3 runs) first ball, with the batter trying a reverse sweep and edging it straight to point.

The England captain went after the Indian bowlers from word go, taking a toll on Arshdeep, Washington Sundar and Ravi Bishnoi, before falling to Axar Patel, who also accounted for Liam Livingstone (13 runs). The left arm spinner finished with 2-32 of his 4.
Varun Chakravarthy again bowled No. 4 batsman Harry Brook through the gate, as in the first innings, for 13 and later repeated this with allrounder Jamie Overton (3 runs). He however proved expensive, giving away 38 runs of his four overs.

Suryakumar Yadav frequently kept shuffling his bowlers around in an effort not to allow the England batters to settle into any sort of rhythm. Even Abhishek Sharma got to bowl one over as the fifth spinner and claimed the prize wicket of hard-hitting Jamie Smith.

Ravi Bishnoi remained wicketless for the second time in the series, though he finished as the most economical of the spinners, giving away 27 runs of his four overs. Washington Sundar did not get to bowl again after his first over in which he claimed 1-9.

India’s response

Chasing a manageable 166-run target, hero of the first match Abhishek Sharma, in his typical pitch-hitting style, struck three glorious fours of England strike bowler Jofra Archer’s first over, but departed in the next over on 12, wrapped on the pads plumb in front of the stumps to Mark Wood’s sizzling hot delivery.

Archer got rid of Sanju Samson (5 runs) in his second over with a pacy bouncer which the other opener got high on the bat while attempting a pull shot, holding out to Carse at midwicket.

Captain Suryakumar Yadav who joined Tilak Varma, looks in good nick, straight away stroking Archer for two boundaries square on the offside in the same over. Tilak Varma also got going with a blistering attack on Archer in the fifth over, slashing him for a boundary over point, and then following it up with a flicked six over long leg and a top-edged maximum sailing over the wicketkeeper. He raced to 19 in 11 balls.

However, the Indian skipper again fell cheaply. After Tilak hit a first ball six of Carse in the sixth over and took a single to rotate the strike, Suryakumar (12 runs, 3x4s) defended one onto his stumps.

India ended the powerplay at 49/3, with nothing much differentiating the two teams at this stage. England were 48/2 after the 6 powerplay overs.

Dhruv Jurel did not make good the opportunity of replacing the injured Rinku Singh and became Carse’s second victim in the 8th over of the innings, spooning a catch to mid-on. He made just 4.

Tilak Varma drops anchor

When Hardik Pandya (7 runs) also fell on pacer Jamie Overton’s first ball in the 10th over, gloving a slow bouncer to wicketkeeper Phil Salt, and the hosts were in some bother at 78/5, required to score at 8.8 runs an over, Tilak Varma appeared to change gear and play the anchor to see the team through to the end.

Washington Sundar, after a slow start and a dropped chance by Adil Rashid at mid-on of Mark Wood, capitalised on the reprieve, hitting the bowler for a six of a free hit awarded on a no ball, and following it up with two fours. The 18 runs of the over eased the equation for India to 53 runs of 42 balls.

But there was to be another twist in the game. Returning to the attack for the 14th over, Carse bowled Sundar with a delivery which skidded on and kept slightly low. At 116/6, another left-handed allrounder Axar Patel stepped in.

At this stage, with India requiring 47 runs of 36 balls, England captain Jos Buttler played a gamble, bringing on off spinner Liam Livingstone instead of leg spinner Adil Rashid with two left-handers at the crease. The gamble paid off as Axar, instead of playing a supporting role to Tilak, tried to be the aggressor His all-mighty heave misfired, and he held out to deep mid-wicket. His contribution just 2.

Takes charge again

Sensing he could run out of partners, Tilak Varma decided to change gears once again. With India needing 40 runs of 30 balls, Archer returned to the attack in the 16th over. Prepared as he was for a short-pitched delivery, Tilak had a go at it, and for the second time in the match top edge of Tilak’s bat sailed over the fence behind the wicketkeeper to bring up his 50.

Another six over deep square leg by Tilak, and an edged four by Ashdeep Singh through the slips following a crossover sent the crowd into ruptures. The 19 runs of the over for the first time brought the equation to less than run a ball (21 of 24).

Tilak was forgoing a few single to shield Arshdeep, but in Adil Rashid’s last over, the 17th of the innings, the doubles and the boundaries were difficult to get, compelling him to take a single of the fifth ball, exposing Arshdeep to the last ball, which proved fatal.
After nodding to Tilak apparently on some instruction, Arshdeep did exactly what Axar did, his all-mighty swing at Rashid’s delivery fell short of the boundary and went to hand at deep square leg, once again raising the excitement level. He made 6 runs with the hosts still needing 20 runs to win in 18 balls.

As Carse took the ball for the 18th over, Tilak appeared to repose greater faith in the abilities of Ravi Bishnoi as a batter, taking singles twice and exposing the spinner to the highest wicket taker in the innings. Bishnoi, playing sensibly, obliged dispatching Carse to the mid-wicket fence in the over.

At this stage, with India needing 13 of two overs, England captain Jos Buttler appeared unsure whom to bowl for the penultimate over. After careful thought, the ball was handed to pacer Overton, but quickly the decision changed and off spinner Livingstone was asked to bowl, largely keeping left-handed Tilak Varma in mind.

Playing out two dot balls while not attempting a single, Tilak Varma pushed for a cheeky second run of the third ball with Bishnoi just making his ground. He took a single of the fourth ball and Bishnoi against obliged slicing the off spinner’s fifth ball over point for a four. On the last ball Bishnoi survived a lbw appeal and subsequent review.

With six needed of the last over bowled by pacer Overton, Tilak powerfully struck the first ball towards the fence on the onside, only for Livingstone to dart a fair distance from deep midwicket and make a brilliant stop, restricting Tilak to 2 runs. However, there was no stopping the boundary on the next ball which he timed beautifully, bisecting cover and mid-off.
Tilak Varma had just played probably the best innings of his brief T20 career which came in most challenging circumstances with wickets falling all around him. The temperament and situational awareness he displayed, and his shot selection was par excellence, for which he earned a bow from his captain.

Most runs between two dismissals in T20Is (full ICC member teams)

318* Tilak Varma (India) (107*, 120*, 19*, 72*)
271 Mark Chapman (New Zealand) (65*, 16*, 71*, 104*, 15)
240 Aaron Finch (Australia) (68*, 172)
240 Shreyas Iyer (India) (57*, 74*, 73*, 36)
239 David Warner (Australia) (100*, 60*, 57*, 2*, 20)