'Abhishek Sharma and I were under pressure...' says Tilak Varma after scoring his maiden T20I century

Tilak Varma admitted to feeling the pressure mounting on him and Abhishek Sharma before the third T20I against South Africa. He was thrilled to relieve that pressure with his maiden international century in Wednesday's match at SuperSport Park.

Tilak's unbeaten 107 off 56 balls and Abhishek's quickfire 50 off 25 balls propelled India to a commanding total of 219 for six. This impressive performance marked a significant milestone for both young left-handers.

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Tilak's century also etched his name in the history books as the second youngest Indian to achieve this feat in T20Is, following in the footsteps of Yashasvi Jaiswal.

“I was waiting for this moment for a long time. Coming after injury and scoring a hundred…it is incredible. We (Abhishek and me) both were under pressure and this knock was important for both of us.”

This match was not only special for Tilak's century but also marked a personal best for both openers. It was Tilak's first half-century in nine innings and Abhishek's first fifty in eight matches.

Tilak acknowledged that the pitch at Centurion presented unique challenges, particularly at the start of their innings due to its unpredictable nature.

“It was challenging at the start - wicket was two-paced. After that, it went well. I tried to hold my shape and was trying to focus on the basics. We talked about following the basics.”

The Hyderabad batter, who became the 12th Indian to score a T20I century, expressed confidence in their team's ability to defend the substantial total.

“Our spinners are bowling well. We were looking at 200-210, so we have a good total on the board, hoping for the win.”