Tilak Varma has delivered a sensational performance to help the India National Cricket Team pull off a thrilling four-wicket win over the New Zealand National Cricket Team in the second T20I at Hagley Oval in Christchurch. With this win, India took an unbeaten lead of 2-0 in the five-match T20I series.
The left-handed batter smashed an unbeaten 51 off just 26 balls as well as has taken two important catches to help India win the match and the Player of the Match award on Saturday (October 24). Earlier, "Tilak and Reddy showed immense character": Shreyas Iyer praises India batters after thrilling win over New Zealand.
Tilak Varma has not only shone with the bat but also created a world record with his fielding. After taking two catches in the first three overs, the left-handed batter reached 26 catches in T20Is in 2026, surpassing Indonesia's Danilson Hawoe, who held the previous record with 25 catches in 2025.
He has now scripted the world record for the most catches by a fielder in T20Is in a single calendar year. Later, chasing 181 runs, India was in serious trouble after losing five wickets for just 70 runs in the 11th over. New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner wreaked havoc on the Indian batting lineup with his spin bowling, taking four wickets for just 21 runs.
Tilak adds 69-run stand with Nitish to seal India's win
Naman Dhir (31) tried to bring India back into the game with a 42-run partnership with Tilak. However, India suffered another setback when they slipped to 112/6 in the 15th over. With the match slipping away, Tilak took charge and joined hands with Nitish Kumar Reddy.
Nitish scored an unbeaten 26 off just 13 balls, and the pair refused to give up. They added an unbeaten 69 runs off only 30 balls to turn the match around. Tilak and Nitish’s partnership helped India complete the 181-run chase with just one ball remaining against the Black Caps.
After being adjudged Player of the Match, Tilak Varma said that he just wanted to stay at the crease until the end, pick the gaps, and run hard between the wickets. He believed India could win if they took the chase deep into the final overs. Amid this, Better than Virat Kohli? Tilak Varma emerges as new T20 chasemaster with 26 wins in 26 chases.
Tilak said at the post-match presentation (as quoted by Cricbuzz), "What was the mindset after losing 5 wickets) No, at that stage I was just thinking about playing till the end. Just before today’s game, I was talking with coach Gautam sir and Sitanshu Kotak Sir. I was talking with both of them, and they said one thing that we all believe, and the whole India believes in you."
"If you stay till the end, then you will win the game for us. So that’s what was going through my mind. I wanted to take the game as deep as possible, and at the end of the day, again, what everyone has believed and have done."
Tilak Varma reveals why India could have finished New Zealand chase even earlier
The left-hander also shared that the pitch was on the slower side, making it difficult to play big shots against the spinners. Tilak said, “The pitch was on the slower side; unfortunately, Naman got out, or else we would have finished the game in the 19th over.”
He signed off by saying, “Then we had the Hyderabadi boys together—the plan was that we wanted to show intent, push into gaps, and run hard. I think we did that; we got some crucial 8-10 runs. We knew we could hit the faster bowlers for boundaries; we knew that we could hit the gaps.”
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