Tilak Varma may not have featured in India’s playing XI for the second ODI against South Africa in Raipur, but he still produced one of the standout moments of the match with a brilliant fielding effort that saved five crucial runs. Coming in as a substitute fielder during South Africa’s chase of 359, Tilak pulled off an exceptional piece of athleticism in the 20th over that immediately caught everyone’s attention.
Aiden Markram, who was looking in delicate touch, attempted to hit Kuldeep Yadav over long-on. Tilak, positioned perfectly on the boundary, timed his jump to perfection and grabbed the ball cleanly with both hands.
WATCH – Pitch Invasion In Raipur: Fan Halts Play During India vs South Africa ODI
Realising that his momentum would carry him over the ropes, he showed outstanding presence of mind, flipping the ball back into play just before his foot touched the boundary cushion. The save denied South Africa a certain six and highlighted Tilak’s sharp awareness and commitment.
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Earlier in the day, Tilak Varma was in the spotlight for a different reason as he joined Rohit Sharma during the mid-innings break to unveil India’s new T20I World Cup jersey at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium.
The 10th edition of the T20 World Cup will take place from February 7 to March 8 across eight venues in India and Sri Lanka. India have been placed in Group A alongside Pakistan, USA, Netherlands, and Namibia, with their campaign set to begin against the USA in Mumbai on February 7.
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South Africa (Playing XI): Quinton de Kock(w), Aiden Markram, Temba Bavuma(c), Matthew Breetzke, Tony de Zorzi, Dewald Brevis, Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch, Keshav Maharaj, Nandre Burger, Lungi Ngidi
India (Playing XI): Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Washington Sundar, KL Rahul(w/c), Ravindra Jadeja, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna
