When was the last time Tilak Varma was dismissed in a T20I match?

Young Team India batter Tilak Varma played a splendid knock of 72* off 55 balls as the Men in Blue beat England by two wickets in the second T20I at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Saturday, January 25. The left-handed batter struck four fours and five sixes in his 93-minute stay at the crease as India recovered from 126-7 to chase a target of 166.

By his match-winning knock on Saturday, Varma also created history, becoming the first batter among full-member nations to score 300+ runs in T20Is without getting dismissed. The 22-year-old has been unbeaten in his last four innings, smashing 318 runs. The previous record was held by New Zealand's Mark Chapman (271 runs).

Varma scored an unbeaten 107 off 56 in the third T20I against South Africa in Centurion in November 2024, a dazzling knock that featured eight fours and seven sixes. The southpaw followed it up with 120* off 47 balls in Johannesburg in the fourth T20I of the series against the Proteas. In the first T20I of the ongoing series against England, he scored 19* off 16 balls at Eden Gardens in Kolkata.

The last time Varma was dismissed in a T20I match was on November 10, 2024, in the second match of the four-game series against South Africa. He made a run-a-ball 20, a knock which ended when David Miller pulled off a superb catch at extra cover off Aiden Markram's bowling.

Looking at the list of full-member nation batters with the most runs without getting dismissed in T20Is, Varma, and Chapman are followed by Aaron Finch (240), Shreyas Iyer (240), and David Warner (239).

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"I wanted to target their best bowler" - Tilak Varma explains assault on Jofra Archer

During his knock in Chennai, Varma was especially severe on England fast bowler Jofra Archer. He charged down the track to the tall bowler and used the speedster's extra pace to his advantage.

Speaking at the post-match press conference, the Indian batter acknowledged he went after Archer with a plan in mind. The youngster explained:

"I wanted to target their best bowler. If you take on the best bowler, other bowlers will be under pressure. So, when the wickets are falling (at the other end), I want to take on their best bowlers. If I do that it makes it easier (for other batters). So, I backed myself and took chances against him and also whatever shots that I have played against Archer, I have worked in the nets, mentally I was ready for them. So it has given me a good result."

Varma has so far featured in 22 T20Is. He has scored 707 runs at an average of 58.91 and a strike rate of 156.07, with two hundreds and three fifties to his credit.