Sat Jan 25 23:40:00 UTC 2025: **India Edges Out England in Thrilling T20 Finish**
Chennai, Jan 26, 2025 – Tilak Varma’s unbeaten 72 off 55 balls steered India to a thrilling two-wicket victory over England in the second T20I on Saturday. Chasing 166, India looked shaky at 78/5, but Varma’s explosive batting in the death overs, including a crucial 19-run 16th over, turned the tide. He was ably supported by Washington Sundar (26), though the lower order faltered. Ravi Bishnoi’s boundary in the penultimate over eased some pressure, allowing Varma to seal the win with four balls to spare. Varma was named Player of the Match.
England, who won the toss and elected to bat first, posted 165/9 in their 20 overs. Jos Buttler top-scored with 45, while Sam Curran contributed a quickfire 31. However, England’s middle order struggled against India’s spinners, with Axar Patel and Varun Chakravarthy taking two wickets each.
The series now stands at 1-1, with the third T20I scheduled for Rajkot on Tuesday. India’s captain, Suryakumar Yadav, had a disappointing performance with only 12 runs, while England’s batting was also inconsistent despite Buttler’s efforts.
First Piper 