India’s latest debutant Tilak Verma made a stunning impression with the bat as he scored a quickfire 39 off 22 balls in the first T20I against West Indies on Thursday. The 20-year-old, who captain Hardik Pandya handed his maiden India cap, smashed the first ball of his innings for a six to start his international career.
Verma, who plays for Mumbai Indians in the IPL, hit two fours and three sixes in his knock and showed no signs of nerves on the big stage.
He came in to bat at No. 4 when India was three down in their chase of 150 and scored quickly to ease the pressure. He got dismissed in the 11th over by Romario Shepherd.
Verma’s fearless knock impressed the cricket fans, who took to social media to praise the youngster.
Memorable debut for Tilak Verma
Verma was not only impressive with the bat but also with his fielding. He took a stunning catch at deep mid-wicket to dismiss Johnson Charles off Kuldeep Yadav’s bowling. He also affected a run-out of Rovman Powell, West Indies’ top-scorer with 48 runs.
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Verma, who hails from Hyderabad, has had a remarkable journey from playing in the U-19 World Cup in 2020 to making his India debut in 2023. He has consistently performed in the domestic circuit and the IPL, where he scored over 700 runs in two seasons for Mumbai Indians.
Verma is one of the many youngsters who have been given a chance by India in the T20I series against West Indies, keeping in mind the T20 World Cup 2024, which will be held in the Caribbean and the USA.
