File photo of Tilak Varma© AFP
Young Indian batsman Tilak Varma on Saturday etched his name in the record books as he became the first player to score three consecutive T20 hundreds. The 22-year-old Hyderabad captain achieved the historic feat in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy opener against Meghalaya at the Saurashtra Cricket Stadium C, where he hit 151 off just 67 balls – the highest individual T20 score by an Indian male cricketer. Tilak's blistering knock consisted of 14 fours and 10 towering sixes as he propelled Hyderabad to an impressive total. His innings surpassed Shreyas Iyer's previous record of 147 as the best T20 score by an Indian.
Batting at number 3, Tilak reached his half-century in 28 balls and needed just 51 deliveries to bring up his century. The hundred was the third time in just ten days that he crossed the three-figure mark in the shortest format. The knock helped Hyderabad score 248/4 in 20 overs. In reply, Meghalaya was all out for just 69.
Tilak's red-hot form started during India's recent T20I tour of South Africa, where he smashed back-to-back hundreds in Centurion and Johannesburg to guide India to a 3-1 win. In doing so, he became only the second Indian batsman, after Sanju Samson, to score consecutive T20I centuries.
With this latest milestone, Tilak's T20 career tally now stands at over 2950 runs in 90 innings, including four centuries. His performances have been characterized by his ability to anchor innings and accelerate at will, making him an essential cog in both domestic and international setups.
Tilak's exploits have not gone unnoticed in franchise cricket. He was one of the five players retained by Mumbai Indians ahead of the IPL 2025 auction.
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