SA vs IND | Tilak Varma’s number three request to Surya sets the stage for century heroics

ByDebayan Sinha, SportsCafe Editor

11/14/2024

It's incredibly fulfilling for a young player to promise something to his captain and then make good on it. A similar incident happened in the third T20I between India and Australia, where Tilak Varma scored a century and later credited to Suryakumar Yadav, for allowing him to bat at number three.

‌India showcased a powerful batting performance yesterday, led by Tilak Varma’s magnificent century. Abhishek Sharma also anchored the innings with a crucial half-century, marking a solid comeback. However, the game turned into a nail-biting thriller as Marco Jansen’s explosive 54 off 17 deliveries pushed the contest into the final over. Despite his efforts, India clinched the match by 11 runs, thanks to some precise death bowling. Tilak Varma, the standout performer with his maiden century, later attributed his success to his captain, Suryakumar Yadav.

At the post-match presentation, Varma shared that he had requested Surya to let him bat at number three. He said, “ Surya allowed me to bat at 3 and told me to express myself. Thanks to him again.” To add more to it, Surya too expressed his thanks to Tilak and mentioned how he came up to him and wished to bat at that position. The Indian captain said, “ Tilak came to my room at Gqeberha and said give me a chance at No. 3, I want to do well and I said go out there and express yourself. He asked for it and he delivered. Very happy for him and his family.”

India now leads the four-match series 2-1, with the final T20I set for tomorrow in Johannesburg.