New Delhi: Team India star Tilak Varma was excellent on the field during the third T20I against West Indies. India defeated the visitors by 14 runs, successfully defending the total of 223 runs to take a 2-1 lead in the five-match series.
Tilak took two catches in the game to help India pull off a close victory and join an elite list consisting of the likes of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. Tilak plucked the important catches of Quentin Sampson (21) and Keemo Paul (10) as Indian bowlers held their nerves to restrict the visitors to 209/7 in the 224-run chase.
The two catches helped Tilak complete 50 catches for India in T20Is as he became only the fifth player to do so. Rohit holds the record for most outfield catches for India in T20Is with 65 catches to his name, followed by Hardik Pandya (65), Suryakumar Yadav (58) and Kohli (54).
Most catches as a fielder for India in T20Is:
- 65 – Rohit Sharma
- 64 – Hardik Pandya
- 58 – Suryakumar Yadav
- 54 – Virat Kohli
- 50 – Tilak Varma
Tilak Varma has managed to complete fifty catches in just 68 matches in his T20I career so far. A total of 34 players have taken 50 outfield catches in T20Is, and Tilak’s dismissals per innings ratio of 0.757 is bettered only by UAE’s Muhammad Waseem (0.767), who has 76 catches in 99 innings.
Tilak also looked in solid touch with the bat in the third T20I, producing a fine cameo of 28 runs off 16 balls to help India post a strong total of 223 runs on the board.
India beat West Indies by 14 runs
India beat West Indies by 14 runs in the 3rd T20I to go 2-1 up in the five-match series. A blazing 69 from opener Abhishek Sharma and crucial knocks from Ishan Kishan (37), Tilak (28) and Nitish Reddy (21) helped India post a strong total of 223 runs on the board before the bowlers did well to restrict the visitors to 209/7 and wrap up a thrilling win.
Arshdeep Singh was the pick of the bowlers for India as he bagged a three-wicket haul and conceded only 44 runs off his 4 overs to help the hosts stop West Indies from pulling off another successful run chase.
