Tilak Varma Scripts Unique Feat After Historic Run-Chase vs New Zealand

Aakash Saini

Tilak Varma [Source: AFP]

Tilak Varma stormed Team India to a thrilling four-wicket win over New Zealand in the second T20I of their five-match series. Chasing 181 runs for a win, the Indian vice-captain punched out 51* cracking runs off just 26 balls with six boundaries and a six at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch.

The innings also helped Tilak maintain his unique unbeaten record as a T20 batter, be it in international cricket, IPL cricket or in domestic tournaments.

Tilak Varma: Unbeaten as Unbeaten in a T20 chase

Tilak Varma, who made his T20 debut way back in February 2019 during the 2018-19 SMAT for Hyderabad, has so far played 179 matches in his career, including 71 internationals for Team India.

The blistering left-handed batter has so far remained unbeaten during the run chase of a T20 innings 26 times in his career. With his latest batting masterclass in Christchurch, the cricketer has extended his unbeaten record in T20 matches as an unbeaten batter in a run chase.

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The latest instance also marked Tilak’s 13th innings where he remained unbeaten at the crease for Team India in international cricket while seeing them past the finishing line.

The first time Tilak Varma aced a run chase for any side occurred way back in November 2021 where his 29-ball 61* won it for Hyderabad against Chandigarh in Sultanpur.

𝑺𝒉𝒆𝒃𝒂𝒔

@Shebas_10dulkar

𝗧𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗸 𝗩𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗮 in T20 Chases (When he remained unbeaten) 61* (29) v Chandigarh (Won) 34* (32) v CSK (Won) 29* (21) v RR (Won) 26* (10) v PBKS (Won) 49* (37) v WI (Won) 7* (5) v WI (Won) 55* (26) v BAN (Won) 41* (31) v Meghalaya (Won) 58* (43) v J&K (Won) 40* (24) v

Oct 24, 2026, 4:24 PM

Meanwhile, the most famous of his match-winning run-chase specials remains the 69* he belted against Pakistan in the final to lift the 2025 Asia Cup title in Dubai last year.

Varma: A chase master for India, Mumbai Indians and Hyderabad

Of the 26 times Tilak Varma has remained unbeaten in a T20 run chase, 13 have come while representing India. He has also produced several unbeaten run-chasing knocks for the Mumbai Indians franchise in the IPL and for the Hyderabad cricket team in India’s domestic tournaments, underlining his consistency across all levels of the format.

With such remarkable consistency in pressure-filled chases, Varma is rapidly carving out a reputation as one of the most dependable chase masters in T20 cricket, with the potential to join the exalted company of India’s finest finishers like former players Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni.