Tilak Varma celebrates scoring a century in Centurion

At Centurion in South Africa, Tilak Varma looked back on his impressive century, with captain Suryakumar Yadav commending the young cricketer for his exceptional performance and commitment.

Varma scored an unbeaten knock of 107 runs off just 56 deliveries which was laced with eight boundaries and seven maximums in his innings. The southpaw scored runs at a whopping strike rate of 191.07 in the 3rd T20I of the series against South Africa here on Wenesday night which India won by11 runs.

"I am very happy that I made a century in Centurion," Tilak said in a video posted by BCCI.

"I decided to have a new hairstyle; I had this long hair, and I got the 100 for the hair," he added with a smile.

Tilak's journey to this milestone was not without challenges.

"Recently, I was injured and could not play a few series. People were also saying that it would be difficult for me to come back again," he revealed.

"I believe in God. I got opportunities at the right time, and I scored the 100 at the right time, so I thanked God after scoring the 100," he added.

Suryakumar Yadav also shared insights into Tilak's determination and team spirit.

"He told me in Gqeberha that if it's possible, give me a fixed batting position. If it's possible, send me at number 3. I want to take that responsibility for the team," Suryakumar recounted.

Tilak embraced this opportunity with enthusiasm. "I got the opportunity and scored the century. I had fun," he said, summarizing his experience.

Suryakumar Yadav emphasized the importance of recognizing the efforts behind a good performance.

"What is important is that we forget the stories behind someone who plays a good knock," he noted, highlighting the resilience and hard work that players like Tilak put into their game.

The video serves as a testament to Tilak Varma's resilience and dedication, as well as the supportive environment fostered by team leaders like Suryakumar Yadav.

Recapping the 3rd T20I of the series, South Africa won the toss and decided to field at the SuperSport Park on Wednesday. Abhishek Sharma and Tilak Varma powered India to 219/6 in the first innings. Other batters failed to shine with the bat.

Andile Simelane and Keshav Maharaj led the Proteas bowling attack and bagged two wickets each in their respective spell.

During the run chase, Heinrich Klaasen and Marco Jansen kept the Proteas in the game. But with the help of Arshdeep, India prevailed in the end.

Arshdeep did the job both with the new ball and in the death overs as he picked up three crucial wickets and gave 37 runs in his four-over spell. Varun Chakaravarthy bagged two wickets in his four-over spell. They helped India clinch an 11-run victory.

With a thrilling victory in Centurion, the Men in Blue took a 2-1 lead in the four-match T20I series.

Gerald Coetzee and Andile Simelane stayed unbeaten on the crease in the end as South Africa finished their inning at 208/7.

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