Youngster Tilak Varma has put up a scintillating performance in the IND A vs AUS A second unofficial ODI.
Just days after guiding India to its ninth ACC Asia Cup title, youngster Tilak Varma has put up another scintillating performance in the IND A vs AUS A second unofficial ODI. On the other hand, following the subcontinental tournament final, Abhishek Sharma has once again failed to get going against the Australia A.
However, Tilak’s remarkable 94-run knock alongside a crucial 58 off 54 balls from Riyan Parag were the only notable contributions from the India A batters. The visitors, who are currently trailing 1-0 in the ongoing 50-over series, have folded them for just 246 runs under 46 overs.
Since the T20I retirement of the former Indian captain, Virat Kohli, the 22-year-old has already sealed the No.3 spot with his consistency. Previously, he had grabbed several eyeballs after notching up four consecutive unbeaten T20I knocks in 2024-25, which included two hundreds and a half-century.
Coming into the Asia Cup 2025, the batter had an average outing throughout the tournament, scoring 144 runs in six matches. But the batter chose the biggest chase to prove his mettle. He walked in at 10/2 in the third over of India’s chase in the Asia Cup Final and the rest is history. Tilak soaked in the pressure and navigated his way to cruise the team to a five-wicket win over the arch-rivals in the ultimate clash.
The 22-year-old continued the same momentum after joining the India A squad in Kanpur for the remaining two fixtures. Following two early breakthroughs, in the form of Abhishek and Prabhsimran Singh, the southpaw anchored the innings well to stitch a valiant partnership with Parag. But unfortunately, he fell just six runs short of converting it into a three-figure knock as Jack Edwards completed his four-wicket haul with the dismissal of Tilak.
The swashbuckling batter has enjoyed a blazing campaign in the recently concluded Asia Cup 2025. With 314 runs in seven matches at a fiery strike rate of 200, the 25-year-old became the highest run-getter of the multi-national tournament.
His hard-hitting approach from the ball one has been immensely successful in India’s new T20I set up, following the retirements of veteran players, including Kohli, skipper Rohit Sharma and all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, after the ICC T20 World Cup 2024. Abhishek’s partnership with Sanju Samson proved to be a major hit as the Men in Blue won 10 out of the 12 T20Is with the aforementioned opening pair.
However, his approach and outcome in the T20Is remained unfazed with the inclusion of vice-captain Shubman Gill as his partner to open the innings. But, while the big-hitter has achieved rapid success in the shortest format of the game, he is yet to improve his 50-over stats. Abhishek’s List A numbers read as — 2,014 runs in 61 matches, including only four centuries, at an average of 35.33.
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The Rajasthan Royals (RR) player also put up a fine fifty-plus knock, laced with six fours and an over-boundary at a strike rate of 107.41. Parag has also had a decent stint in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, scoring 393 runs in 14 league stage fixtures at a blistering strike rate of 166.52, while taking up the skipper’s duties in Samson’s absence.
However, the 23-year-old had also scored a crucial 39 runs while leading the East Zone in the Duleep Trophy 2025 quarter-finals. Notably, the all-rounder holds a decent List A record, with 1,802 runs at an average of 41.90, including five tons and nine fifty-plus knocks. His impressive bowling stats also include 53 wickets at a miraculous economy of 4.96, including three four-wicket hauls.
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