Is Tilak Varma the most consistent batter in T20 history?
What's the story
Tilak Varma, one of India's most promising young cricketers, recently went past the 5,000-run mark in T20 cricket. The middle-order batsman achieved this milestone during the second T20I against West Indies at JSCA International Stadium Complex in Ranchi on Friday. Albeit in a losing cause, Varma scored an unbeaten 44 off just 18 balls to help India set a mammoth target of 250 runs for their opponents. On this note, we look at Varma's stellar consistency in the 20-over format.
Career overview
40-plus average; 140-plus strike rate
Varma has now raced to 5,031 runs across 166 T20 innings at an average of 41.57 and a strike rate of 145.36, as per Cricinfo.
His tally includes five centuries and 30 half-centuries, along with a whopping 245 sixes.
Among batsmen in the club of over 5,000 runs, only Babar Azam (42.78), KL Rahul (42.73), and Virat Kohli (42.44) have better averages than Varma's impressive number.
However, Varma is the only one on this elite list to average over 40 and strike at 140-plus in the T20 format.
Tons
Five tons in the format
Scoring a hundred in a T20 game is no mean feat.
The challenge gets even more daunting when you don't open the proceedings.
Each of Varma's five T20 hundreds has come while batting at three or lower.
Rilee Rossouw (9), Glenn Maxwell (6), and Suryakumar Yadav (6) have more centuries among non-openers.
Varma made a record-breaking 151 off 67 balls against Meghalaya in the 2024 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
Graham Napier (152*) is the only other non-opener with a 150-plus T20 score.
Information
Consistency at different spots
Varma has also been highly adaptable when it comes to batting positions. He averages a solid 44.02 at three in T20s, 41.54 at four, 40.15 at five, and 46.6 at six. He has batted at least 10 times in all these positions. Number five (138.76) is the only position where his strike rate drops below 140.
International records
Impressive numbers for India
In T20Is, Varma has scored 1,763 runs in 67 matches at a strike rate of 146.55.
His average is an impressive 45.2 - second only to Kohli's among Indians with over 1,000 runs.
The left-handed batsman's tally includes two centuries and 12 scores of 50 or more (2 tons).
In the Indian Premier League (IPL), Varma has scored 1,858 runs in 68 matches at an average of 35.73 - all for Mumbai Indians.
He has a commendable strike rate of 144.70 with 11 scores over 50 (including one century).