Tilak Varma snatches Virat Kohli’s ‘Chasemaster’ crown after historic rise
Published - 15 Dec 2025, 01:13 PM
Young Team India batter Tilak Varma shattered ace batter Virat Kohli's record during the third T20I match against South Africa in Dharamsala on Sunday, December 14. The left-handed batter became the player with the highest batting average in T20I run chases following the Men in Blue’s seven-wicket victory.
Tilak came in to bat at No. 3 during the run chase. The southpaw played with a calm approach to help the team reach the target without any pressure. He scored an unbeaten 25 runs off 34 balls, with just three boundaries. The hosts completed the 118-run chase with 25 balls to spare and seven wickets in hand.
Tilak Varma Overtakes Virat Kohli in T20I Run Chases
Tilak Varma has an outstanding record while batting second in T20 internationals. He has surpassed Virat Kohli in terms of average, placing him at the top among batters with at least 500 runs in chases.
Tilak has scored over 500 runs in just 16 T20I innings while chasing, averaging close to 68, with a best score of 72 not out. Kohli set elite standards with more than 2,000 runs in 48 innings. India may have found another reliable match-winner.
Highest Average in T20I Run Chases (Minimum 500 Runs):
| Player | Batting Average |
|---|---|
| Tilak Varma | 68.00 |
| Virat Kohli | 67.10 |
| MS Dhoni | 47.71 |
| JP Duminy | 45.55 |
| Kumar Sangakkara | 44.93 |
Tilak Varma Sets New Benchmark With Record Average Against South Africa
Tilak added another major milestone with his latest outing against South Africa. He has an average of over 70 against the Proteas. Varma has the best-ever average by an Indian batter against a single opponent in the format, surpassing Virat Kohli’s long-standing mark against Pakistan.
Highest Average Against a Team in T20Is (Minimum 300 Runs):
| Player | Opponent | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Tilak Varma | South Africa | 70.50 |
| Virat Kohli | Pakistan | 70.28 |
| Virat Kohli | Sri Lanka | 67.80 |
| KL Rahul | West Indies | 58.83 |
| Virat Kohli | West Indies | 57.00 |
India Take 2-1 Lead With Comfortable Win in Dharamsala
Coming to the match, India secured a comfortable win over South Africa in the third T20I at Dharamsala. India took a 2-1 lead in the five-match series with an all-round performance.
South Africa struggled badly with the bat on a pitch that helped the bowlers. India’s pace and spin attack worked together to apply early pressure, reducing the visitors to 30 for 4. South Africa never found momentum and were bowled out for just 117.
Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakravarthy, and Kuldeep Yadav picked up two wickets each, while Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube also chipped in.
In reply, India got off to a flying start thanks to Abhishek Sharma, who attacked during the powerplay and eased the pressure straight away. The middle order did not score quickly, but the target was never in doubt because of the strong start.
India chased down the total with ease, finishing the match with plenty of balls and wickets in hand. The fourth T20I of the five-match series will take place at the Ekana Cricket Stadium on Wednesday, December 17.
Also read: New Zealand squad for third Test vs West Indies announced; Ajaz Patel and Tom Blundell return
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Tilak Varma Virat Kohli India National Cricket Team South Africa National Cricket Team India vs South Africa South Africa vs IndiaAbout the Author
Sai Vaitla is an author at Cricketaddictor and he has been working since September 2022. Sai Vaitla...
