For those who’ve only seen Tilak Varma as a T20 batter, Hampshire’s County Championship clash against Essex offered a different story. Varma, one of India’s brightest young talents in white-ball cricket, has now taken a major step towards fulfilling his red-ball ambitions. The 22-year-old left-hander brought up his maiden County Championship century, making a composed century after resuming Day 3 on 98*.
HUNDRED FOR TILAK VARMA ON HIS COUNTY DEBUT – Tilak came when Hampshire was 34/2 and then Tilak completed Hundred from 239 balls under pressure, He is making big steps in all formats for India, Great news for the future. pic.twitter.com/D7O0E3m6cb
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) June 24, 2025Tilak Varma masterclass
Coming in under pressure at 11/2 with England pacer Sam Cook on a hat-trick, Varma showed the kind of temperament and technique that you’d want in a red-ball batter. His 100 came off 239 deliveries and included 11 boundaries and 3 sixes. Even in the IPL, Tilak looked like a complete batter and hence it hasn’t come as a surprise that he’s done phenomenally well.
He stitched together key partnerships with Fletcha Middleton (52 runs), skipper Ben Brown (43 runs), and most crucially, a 129-run unbeaten stand with Liam Dawson, who supported him well with 79 off 132 balls. Tilak’s innings was a masterclass in playing close to the body, leaving with discipline, and respecting the conditions. He was particularly impressive against off-spinner Simon Harmer, refusing to give him anything easy on a turning surface.
“I always say Test cricket is my favourite”
"There's still a long way to go"Tilak Varma reacts to his first innings as a Hampshire player and looks at the state of play after day two Read the Report & Reaction
— Hampshire Cricket (@hantscricket) June 23, 2025Speaking after reaching the milestone, Varma said, “I always say that Test cricket is my favourite game. I was waiting for this opportunity. Being a world no.3 batsman in T20Is, everybody thinks I am a good T20 batter. But I know, and I have been saying this for a long time, I am a good Test player. I love playing Test cricket, playing close to the body, being challenged, especially in English conditions. It was cold weather today in the morning so the ball was moving a bit and turning.”
Varma has now joined the elite list of Indian batters to score a century on County debut — after Piyush Chawla, Murali Vijay and Ajinkya Rahane.
Tilak Varma’s first-class stats
Playing for Hyderabad in domestic cricket, Tilak has scored over 1200 runs in 18 first-class games at an average of 50.16, with five centuries and four fifties. He has also featured for India A in the Duleep Trophy and the England Lions series in early 2024.
It is safe to say that Tilak chose the right time to join a County side, since India’s upcoming domestic season won’t start until late August. Signing for a four-match deal, Tilak will be eligible to play until the Worcestershire game that ends on August 1.
InnsRunsHSAvgSR100s50s28120412150.1658.7654Before HAM vs ESS clashTilak Varma scores century on County debut, makes strong case for Test call-up Inside Sport India.
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