Tilak Varma is in sensational form! Following his two consecutive unbeaten centuries for India in the recent T20I series against South Africa, the 22-year-old left-hander from Hyderabad delivered yet another masterclass on Saturday (November 23). Batting at No. 3 for Hyderabad in a Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy match against Meghalaya at the Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot, Tilak smashed an explosive 151 off just 67 balls.
His innings, studded with 14 fours and 10 sixes, now stands as the highest individual score by an Indian in T20s, surpassing Shreyas Iyer’s 147 off 55 balls for Mumbai against Sikkim in the 2019 SMAT tournament held in Indore.
Highest Individual T20 Scores by Indians
Tilak’s blazing knock powered Hyderabad to a commanding total of 248/4 in 20 overs. He forged crucial partnerships, adding 122 runs for the second wicket with Tanmay Agarwal (55) and 84 runs for the third wicket with Buddhi Rahul (30). His brilliant performance highlights why Mumbai Indians retained him for ₹8 crore ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction.
Rising T20 Star
Tilak’s remarkable display extends to the international arena as well. His stellar performance in the recent India-South Africa T20I series, where he amassed 280 runs, catapulted him to the No. 3 spot in the ICC T20I rankings. This feat also saw him eclipse Virat Kohli’s record for most runs in a bilateral T20I series by an Indian. Kohli had scored 231 runs in a five-match series against England in March 2021.