The Indian team defeated England by two wickets in the second T20 match, thanks to a brilliant unbeaten half-century by Tilak Varma, taking a 2-0 lead in the five-match series. England batted first and scored 165 for nine in 20 overs. In response, Tilak played a match-winning knock of 72 not out off 55 balls, including four fours and five sixes, helping India chase the target by scoring 166 for eight in 19.2 overs.
Tilak Secures Victory for India
Apart from Tilak, Washington Sundar contributed 26 runs off 19 balls with three fours and a six, while Ravi Bishnoi, batting at number nine, remained unbeaten on nine runs off five balls. For England, Brydon Carse took three wickets and made every effort to secure a win for his team, but Tilak’s outstanding innings outshined his efforts. Jofra Archer, Mark Wood, Adil Rashid, Jamie Overton, and Liam Livingstone picked up one wicket each for England.
India’s Poor Start
India had a shaky start while chasing the target, losing five wickets for just 78 runs. However, Tilak and Washington Sundar built a crucial partnership to stabilize the innings. After Sundar’s dismissal, Tilak took charge and guided the team to victory. Openers Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma failed to provide a strong start, scoring just five and 12 runs, respectively.
Skipper Suryakumar Yadav tried to set the momentum with three boundaries but was dismissed for 12. Dhruv Jurel managed only four runs, while Hardik Pandya was out for seven. Axar Patel, expected to contribute, could score only two runs before getting dismissed. Arshdeep Singh lost his wicket for six runs when India was struggling at 146 for eight. However, Bishnoi supported Tilak well, and Tilak sealed the match with a boundary.
Tilak Creates a Unique T20 Record
Tilak not only led India to victory but also set a remarkable record in T20 internationals. He now holds the record for the most consecutive runs scored without getting dismissed in T20Is. His last four T20I scores are 72 not out, 19 not out, 120 not out, and 107 not out, totaling 318 unbeaten runs, surpassing Mark Chapman’s record of 271 unbeaten runs in 2023. Other notable players in this list include Shreyas Iyer with 240 runs in 2022 and Aaron Finch with 240 runs in 2018.