Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], December 20 (ANI): Indian batter Tilak Varma received the ‘Impact Player of the Series’ medal following his team’s win over South Africa in T20Is from Team India’s training assistant Raghavindraa Dvgi for his magnificent performances with the bat in a variety of match situations throughout the series.
Team India continued their winning ways in T20Is with their eighth successive T20I series win, beating South Africa by 30 runs in the final T20I at Ahmedabad on Sunday. During the final T20I, Tilak contributed with a match-winning knock of 42-ball 73, with 10 fours and a six.
Before the presentation of the medal, Raghavindraa gave a heartfelt speech on maintaining patience, self-belief and dealing with hardships.
After winning the award, Tilak said, “It feels good winning this award for the second time and receiving it from a very special. The way we played under pressure was very good to see. In the coming NZ series and T20 World Cup, we will be tested and let us win them with the same attitude.”
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In the series, Tilak continued his fine run in T20Is and emerged as the top run-getter with 187 runs in four innings at an average of 62.33 and a strike rate of 131.69, with two fifties and a best score of 73. During the series, he displayed his ability to be a playmaker for India in a variety of situations and tempos. Be it his 32-ball 26, though with a sub-par strike rate at number four, helped India gain some normalcy after being reduced to 48/3 in the first T20I and set up a stage for Hardik Pandya’s batting pyrotechnics. In the next T20I, while chasing 214 runs as wickets tumbled from the other end, Tilak played a lone-warrior knock of 62 in 34 balls at number five, with two fours and five sixes. In the third T20I, Tilak finished an easy chase of 118 for India, scoring an unbeaten 26* in 34 balls batting at number three. In the final T20I, when Indian openers had set a platform with a quickfire 63-run stand, Tilak did not waste any time in cashing on it and scored a 42-ball 73, with 10 fours and a six and put a century stand with Hardik Pandya to take India to a massive 231/5 in 20 overs.
His best batting numbers have come at number three, scoring 542 runs in 15 matches and innings at an average of 60.22, with a strike rate of over 160, with two centuries and three fifties and a best score of 120*.
Coming to the match, the Proteas won the toss and put India to field first. Openers Samson (37 in 22 balls, with four boundaries and two sixes) and Abhishek (34 in 21 balls, with six fours and a six) gave India a fiery start with a 63-run stand in just 5.4 overs. After a brief stumble following dismissals of Samson and skipper Suryakumar Yadav (5), Tilak (73 in 42 balls, with 10 fours and a six) and Hardik put on a 105-run stand for the fourth wicket, taking India to 231/5 in 20 overs. Corbin Bosch (2/44) was the pick of the bowlers for SA.
During the run-chase of 232 runs, SA did put up a 69-run opening stand, which was mainly due to the efforts of opener Quinton de Kock (65 in 35 balls, with nine fours and three sixes), who continued his love affair with Indian bowling. Reeza Hendricks (13 in 12 balls, with a four) was the first victim of the evening’s leading wicket-taker, Varun. Brevis did give India a scare with his knock, sticking around for another half-century stand with QDK to take SA to 120 in the 11th over. However, following his dismissal, Proteas lost wickets regularly and never quite managed to make a comeback, falling short by 30 runs and restricted to 201/8 in 20 overs.
Jasprit Bumrah (2/17) was also impressive in his four-over quota, while Arshdeep also took a wicket. (ANI)
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