Tilak Varma has carved his name firmly in the cricketing record books with his extraordinary performance during the third T20 International against South Africa held at Centurion Park. At just 22 years and 4 days old, Varma sprinted past previous records to become the youngest player ever to notch up a T20I century against the Proteas. This achievement leaves India’s Suresh Raina behind, who had accomplished the same milestone at 23 years and 156 days during the 2010 T20 World Cup.
Not only did Varma achieve this remarkable feat against South Africa, but he also became the second youngest Indian overall to score a T20I century, following Yashasvi Jaiswal, who recorded his century during the 2023 Asian Games at the age of 21 years and 279 days. Varma's stunning knock has made it evident; he's among Indian cricket's brightest talents ready to bloom on the international stage.
The innings itself was nothing short of spectacular. Varma demonstrated incredible timing and placement, with 71 of his 100 runs derived from leg-side boundaries. His innings was well-supported by Abhishek Sharma, who contributed significantly with his own 25-ball fifty, forging a solid partnership of 107 runs for the second wicket. Despite the early fall of their wicketkeeper Sanju Samson for a duck, Varma and Sharma took charge, steering India back on track.
Following the initial Powerplay, Varma adopted full attack mode, treating fans to delightful shots, including reverse sweeps and towering sixes. Sharma showcased his skill set too, stepping down the track to dispatch South African bowlers like Aiden Markram and Keshav Maharaj with ease. Through Varma's astonishing effort, India set up a commanding position, though they faced some difficulties with the middle-order collapse later on.
Reaching his century off just 51 balls, Varma completed his hundred with smooth stroke play, highlighted by a beautiful drive through mid-off, shortly followed by another six off a free-hit delivery. Even though he lost partners as the innings progressed, Varma’s explosive batting helped India reach a massive score.
Examining statistics, Varma leads the list for the youngest players to achieve T20I centuries against South Africa, followed by Suresh Raina, New Zealand’s Martin Guptill at 26 years and 84 days, Pakistan’s Babar Azam at 26 years and 181 days, and Chris Gayle from the West Indies at 27 years and 355 days. Such explosive innings from Tilak Varma suggest he is firmly announcing his intentions as a future star for India.
This historic innings played a pivotal role as India edged past South Africa, clinching the narrow victory by just 11 runs, now leading the four-match series 2-1. Varma’s maiden T20I century was not only instrumental but also struck the perfect note for what could be the start of something special for this young Indian cricketer.
