Tilak Varma Makes Perfect Start To T20I Career, Slams Consecutive Sixes Against West Indies. Watch | Cricket News

Tilak Varma made his debut for Indian cricket team during the first T20I match against West Indies on Thursday but the youngster looked completely at ease on the big stage. The left-hander pulled off a brilliant catch to dismiss Johnson Charles and while batting, he started his knock in the most explosive way possible. He took on Alzarri Joseph on the second ball of his innings and slammed him straight over deep square leg for a six. The commentators were all praise for him but before they could finish their thoughts, Tilak once again took the aerial route and cleared the deep mid-wicket boundary with ease for the second six. He ultimately ended up scoring 39 off just 22 deliveries.

West Indies stunned India by four runs to capture the opening Twenty20 International on Thursday as the tourists flopped in pursuit of a modest 150-run target.

Well-placed at 77-3 in the 11th over thanks to debutant Tilak Varma’s top score of 39 and 21 from Suryakumar Yadav, India then lost six wickets for just 68 runs.

How’s that for a confidence boost?
Tilak Varma rains boundaries on debut, including a maximum at wide long-off

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Shimron Hetmyer, playing international cricket for the first time in 12 months, starred in the field for the West Indies taking three catches and effecting the run-out of Arshdeep Singh in the final over to bring the low-scoring clash to a conclusion.

The 20-year-old Varma, who helped light up the IPL with 343 runs for the Mumbai Indians this season, hit three sixes in his 22-ball innings.

Two of his sixes came in the first three balls he faced from Alzarri Joseph.

His innings ended on the last ball of the 11th over when he was caught at fine leg by Hetmyer off pace bowler Romario Shepherd with the total at 77.

Ten runs earlier, Suryakumar had been the third wicket to fall, brilliantly caught by Hetmyer who dived to his left at short extra cover off the bowling of Jason Holder.

Skipper Hardik Pandya (19), Axar Patel (13) and Singh (12) all made useful contributions but struggled to force the pace on a slow pitch at the Brian Lara Stadium.

Holder was particularly impressive for the West Indies with figures of 2-19 from his four overs and was named man of the match.

(With AFP inputs)