Tilak Varma 72*, Help India Lead Series By 2-0

Tilak Varma 72* Outstanding innings helped India beat England by just two wickets in the second Twenty20 International on January 25, 2025, in Chennai's MA Chidambaram Stadium. This victory gave India a 2-0 lead in the five-match series.

Match Summary

England's Innings:

England chose to bat first and finished their given 20 overs with a total of 165 for 9. A strong platform was built by captain Jos Buttler, who led the attack with a quick 45 off 30 balls. However, because wickets fell a lot, the squad found it difficult to form meaningful partnerships. With 31 runs off of 17 deliveries, Brydon Carse made a significant contribution and gave the innings pace in the closing moments. 

With an early breakthrough from Arshdeep Singh, who is the highest wicket taker from India delivering an early wicket, India's bowlers kept up the pressure throughout. 

India's Chase:

India faced early setbacks while chasing a target of 166, losing wickets at critical times. Tilak Varma, who led the innings with an undefeated 72 off 55 balls, including five sixes and four fours, provided the pivotal moment. Washington Sundar, who scored a crucial 26 runs, provided support for Varma. 

Varma's confidence helped India to victory in spite of England's disciplined bowling efforts, especially those of Carse, who took three wickets, and Adil Rashid, who kept tight lines. With four balls remaining, Varma sealed the victory by hitting the game-winning boundary. 

Series Outlook:

India now has a 2-0 series lead thanks to this victory, showing their bowling tactics and batting lineup depth. Although England has shown resilience under new head coach Brendon McCullum, they will need to address their consistency problems if they are to win the series.

As England looks to recover from a series loss, the third Twenty20 International, which is set for Rajkot, becomes crucial.