India's T20I star Tilak Varma remained unbeaten on 98 at stumps on day two (June 23) of Hampshire's County Championship 2025 match against Essex.
Tilak is among the latest group of India internationals to sign county deals recently, alongside players like Ruturaj Gaikwad and Ishan Kishan. Ahead of the ongoing County Championship season, Hampshire secured Tilak for four matches.
After being asked to bowl first at the Ambassador Cruise Line Ground in Chelmsford, the tourists dismissed Essex for 296. At one stage, they looked set to bowl them out for far fewer, with Essex struggling at 172-6. However, Charlie Allison, batting at No.6, rescued the innings with a gritty 101 off 192 balls, pushing the total to the north of 200.
Hampshire got off to a decent start, racing to 34 runs quickly, but Sam Cook's double strike in the ninth over – dismissing Ali Orr for nine and Nick Gubbins for a golden duck – put them on the back foot. The twin blows brought Tilak, on his county debut, to the crease.
Doesn't get much better than this 😍
— Hampshire Cricket (@hantscricket) June 23, 2025
Always time for a beautiful cover-drive ✅
HAM: 272-4 (87) trail by 24 runs
📺 Watch ESS v HAM 👉 https://t.co/z9THLFGxWc pic.twitter.com/6w8xGf8FJ2
Tilak made a steady start, grinding out 127 balls to bring up his maiden county fifty – a two-hour knock laced with six fours and a six. He faced another 107 deliveries and added five more fours and two sixes to his tally after that to finish the day unbeaten on 98, just two short of a debut century. Hampshire ended at 293-4, trailing Essex’s first-innings total by just three runs.
Match 65, Essex vs Hampshire
vs
- Ball by ball Over
Tilak: Test cricket is my favourite format
Tilak, who is yet to play Test cricket, has represented India in four ODIs and 25 T20Is. He made back-to-back T20I hundreds on a South Africa tour, becoming one of the five players to do so. The first one of those also made him the third-youngest player from a Full Member to score a T20I century. He followed this up with 151 for Hyderabad in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, making him the first player to score centuries in three consecutive T20 innings.
After finishing unbeaten just two runs short of a century, Tilak reflected on his innings, stating that while he has made a name for himself as a T20 batter, Test cricket has always been his true calling. He expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to showcase his skills in the longer format.
"I always say Test cricket is my favourite format of all time. So I was waiting for this opportunity, but nowadays being a world number three batsman in T20I, everyone thinks that I'm a good T20 batter, but I know for a long time that I am a good Test player as well," said Tilak.
"I love to bat in Test cricket, playing close to the body, being challenged, especially in English conditions. It was cold weather today morning. The ball was moving a bit and turning. [Simon] Harmer was bowling very, very nicely on the spot. He was not giving any loose balls there, turning as well. So, it was a bit challenging, so I thought that it was a great opportunity to express. So, yeah, by god’s grace, I’ve got good runs here today."
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