On Friday, 5 January, young cricketer Tilak Varma started his domestic season in grand style, leading Hyderabad as the captain. The 21-year-old left-hander showcased his prowess by smashing an impressive century, scoring an unbeaten 100* off 112 balls. His outstanding innings, coupled with a remarkable 214 runs from Gahlaut Rahul Singh, propelled Hyderabad to a strong position, finishing Day 1 with a total of 474/5.
Hyderabad’s batting unit displayed aggression right from the beginning, with three of the top four batters contributing 50+ runs each. This dominating performance forced Nagaland to use seven different bowlers on the opening day of the First Class game, but unfortunately, all of them proved to be quite expensive.
Tilak Varma’s journey in Indian cricket has been remarkable, gaining prominence through two outstanding seasons in the Indian Premier League. Despite being fast-tracked into the Indian team, he is yet to establish a firm position. However, Varma is highly regarded as one of the most promising young talents in Indian cricket, with expectations of a long and successful international career.
In the four One Day International (ODI) matches he has played, Varma has scored 68 runs, including one half-century. In his 15 Twenty20 International (T20I) appearances, he has amassed 310 runs at an impressive average of 34.4, with a strike rate of 141.60. Varma has also notched up two half-centuries in T20I cricket.
Hyderabad reached 474/5 after playing 76.4 overs
At the end of the Day 1 in their first First Class (FC) game of the season, Hyderabad reached an impressive total of 474/5 after playing 76.4 overs. Tilak Varma remained unbeaten, partnering with Ravi Teja at the crease in Nagaland Cricket Stadium, Dimapur. Both Hyderabad and Nagaland belong to the Plate group in the tournament.
The new Ranji season commenced on 5 January, coinciding with the India vs England Test series. This premier Indian First Class competition is set to run until March 14, promising exciting cricket action in the coming months.
