Batsman Tilak Varma broke legendary Virat Kohli's record for most runs scored by an Indian player in a bilateral T20I series. Varma achieved this milestone during the fourth and final T20I against South Africa in Johannesburg. Tilak delivered a stunning performance, hitting 120 unbeaten runs off just 47 balls, including nine fours and ten sixes, at an extraordinary strike rate of 255.32. With a century in the previous match as well, Tilak ended the series as the top scorer and was declared the 'Player of the Series'. He amassed 280 runs in four matches at an impressive average of 140 and a strike rate of over 198, with two centuries to his name. This remarkable performance gave him the record for most runs by a player in a bilateral T20I series.
Tilak surpassed Virat Kohli, who had scored 231 runs in a five-match series against England at an average of 115.50 and a strike rate of 147.13, with three half-centuries and a top score of 80*.
In the match, India won the toss and chose to bat first. After Abhishek Sharma's rapid-fire 36 off 18 balls, with two fours and four sixes, Tilak (120* off 47 balls) and Sanju Samson (109* off 56 balls, with six fours and nine sixes) destroyed the South African bowling attack with a unbeaten 210-run partnership. This effort took India to a mammoth total of 283/1.
In response, South Africa struggled to cope with scoreboard pressure. Apart from brief resistance from Tristan Stubbs (43 off 29 balls, with three fours and two sixes) and David Miller (36 off 27 balls, with two fours and three sixes), no other batsman made a significant contribution. South Africa were bowled out for 148 runs in 18.2 overs and suffered their biggest ever defeat in T20Is by a margin of 135 runs.
Arshdeep Singh was India's standout bowler, claiming 3/20. Varun Chakravarty and Axar Patel took two wickets each, while Ravi Bishnoi, Ramandeep Singh and Hardik Pandya scored a wicket each.
Tilak Varma was adjudged 'Player of the Match' for his exceptional performance.
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