Tilak Varma Heroic innings of 72 runs, single-handedly helping India to win the 2nd T20 of the five-match series against England. With this victory, India took a 2-0 lead in the series. Chasing a target of 165 set by England, none of the Indian batters, apart from Tilak, scored more than 30 runs. Coming in at the number three position in the batting lineup, Tilak showed great composure and showed his great temperament to finish the match partnered with the number 10 batsman, Ravi Bishnoi, to secure a thrilling two-wicket win for India in the final over.

After his match-winning performance, Tilak Varma is facing criticism on social media, with fans accusing him of disrespecting Virat Kohli. The controversy began when Tilak liked an Instagram reel that called him "the greatest number 3 batsman to ever play for India." Fans saw this as an insult to Kohli, who had played at number 3 for over a decade before retiring in June 2024, following India’s World Cup victory.

Unreal Cooking By Tilak Verma On and off the field 😭🔥. pic.twitter.com/v9QVCs4L5Y

— 𝐉𝐨𝐝 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐚𝐧𝐞 (@jod_insane) January 26, 2025

The post liked by Tilak Varma is being seen as disrespectful towards Virat Kohli by fans. Social media users are trolling Tilak for liking the post, and he is facing backlash for it.

Some people Slamming Tilak Varma for liking a video naming him "greatest to play at no.3 for India"

Matlab Khud ki Tarif wali video pe Banda like bhi nhi kar skta. 👌🤣🤣 #INDvsENG #TilakVarma pic.twitter.com/tKiItKtgAV

— Josprit Bumrah (@JespritBumrah93) January 26, 2025

The people who still troll Virat Kohli for this knock are now celebrating Tilak's knock. 😂🙏 🤡's for reason #ViratKohli #TilakVerma #INDvENG pic.twitter.com/udQFyxXJsA

— Vijay Joseph ( fan account) (@JOSEPHSPARROWVJ) January 25, 2025

After the second T20 match against England in Chennai, Tilak Varma set a record for the most runs scored in T20s without being dismissed. He scored 318 runs in four innings (107*, 120*, 19*, 72*), making him the batter with the most T20I runs between two dismissals.

Tilak Varma has had a great career so far, having played just 22 T20 matches. In these matches, he has scored 707 runs at an average of 58.91, with a strike rate of 156. He has two centuries and three fifties to his name.

Also Read: Ravichandran Ashwin Selected for Padma Shri in 2025 Padma Awards

 

The 22-year-old player is now an important part of India's T20 team. After India's T20 World Cup win in June, senior players like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Ravindra Jadeja retired. Since then, the team has remained unbeaten, winning series against Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh at home and South Africa away.

Also Read: Rohit Sharma gets an heartfelt message from a 15 Year Old Fan

Suryakumar Yadav was appointed captain and has shown faith in new talents. Tilak Varma, considered one of India's brightest future stars, is expected to play in the 2026 T20 World Cup, which will be held in India. Tilak had missed the 2024 T20 World Cup despite performing well in the IPL and the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. However, since June, he has been a regular member of the team. Suryakumar has even sacrificed his number 3 batting position to accommodate Tilak, allowing him to bat at number 3 while Suryakumar moved to number 4.