Left-handed batter Tilak Varma continues to go from strength-to-strength. The 22-year-old, who is leading Hyderabad in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, on Saturday, became the first batter to score three consecutive T20 centuries. Tilak achieved the feat during Hyderabad’s opening Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy match against Meghalaya at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium C.
Tilak Varma, who recently scored back-to-back centuries in the last two T20Is against South Africa, smashed 151 runs in just 67 balls to help Hyderabad post 248/4 in its opening fixture.
The left-handed youngster has now also registered the highest individual score in the competition’s history. Earlier, the record was held by Mumbai’s Shreyas Iyer, who had played a knock of 147.
Tilak’s innings was studded with 14 fours and 10 sixes. Coming out to bat at No.3, Tilak brought up his half-century off just 28 balls.
The batter then reached the 100-run mark on his 51st delivery.
Tilak Varma lights up T20 series against South Africa
Earlier, Tilak Varma had smashed back-to-back hundreds in Centurion and Johannesburg, in the last two T20Is against South Africa.
During the process, he became only the second Indian batter after teammate Sanju Samson to record consecutive T20I hundreds.
As a result of this performance, Tilak was also adjudged as Player of the Series. He also went up 69 places in the ICC T20I batting charts.
He is now placed at the number 3 spot in the ICC T20I Men’s Batting Rankings, only behind No.1-ranked T20I batter Travis Head and England’s Phil Salt. Tilak Varma is now the highest-rated India batter in T20Is.
Speaking after the series, Tilak Varma had said, “Nothing to say right now, presently there’s a lot of emotion inside me. Really, thanks for the opportunity, that’s what I can say to the team. It feels very nice to be here. Never thought I’ll score back-to-back hundreds, especially in a T20, especially against a challenging South Africa side.”
The youngster is now nearing the 3000 run mark in all T20s. The batter has four hundreds to his name as well, in the shortest format.
