Tilak Varma, captain of Medak Falcons, delivered a match-winning unbeaten 136 off 56 balls to chase down a massive 259 against Warangal Warriors in Match 3 of the TG20 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, Hyderabad, on 23 June. The Falcons clinched the thriller by three wickets with two balls to spare, overcoming a record-breaking powerplay assault from Warriors skipper Aman Rao Perala.

Aman Rao's Historic Assault Sets a Daunting Target

Warangal Warriors captain Aman Rao Perala produced one of the most explosive innings in the tournament's short history, blazing to a 17-ball half-century before reaching his century off just 32 deliveries — the first hundred in the Sreenidhi University TG20. His final tally of 142 off 48 balls, laced with 12 fours and 13 sixes, was a knock of rare brutality.

Alongside opener Harshit Choudhary, Aman powered the Warriors to 101/0 in the powerplay — the highest powerplay score of the tournament so far. The pair added 133 runs for the first wicket before N Surya Teja dismissed Choudhary for a brisk 35 off 23 balls in the ninth over. The 22-year-old, who was picked by Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2026, continued his onslaught until Rahul Kunta removed him in the 14th over, by which point the Warriors had already crossed 200. A quickfire 32 off 15 balls from Murugan Abhishek at the death guided Warriors to a commanding 258/7 in 20 overs. Tilak Varma and Madhukar Manne chipped in with two wickets apiece to limit the damage in the final overs.

Falcons' Chase: Drama, Collapse, and Tilak's Rescue Act

The Falcons' chase began at a frenetic pace. Anirudh Srivatsa drew first blood for the Warriors by dismissing Naman Agarwal (12 off 4) in the opening over, but the Falcons still raced to 50 in the fourth over. A run-out ended Shrunjith Reddy's cameo of 25 off 12, yet the Falcons reached the powerplay at 85/2.

Tilak reached his half-century in just 22 balls, keeping the required rate in check. However, the chase was derailed between the ninth and fifteenth overs as the Falcons lost three wickets in as many overs, slipping to a precarious 190/6 with 65 runs still needed off five overs. Shaunak Kulkarni claimed 2/43 and Md Asif Mansoori took 2/19 to put the Warriors firmly in control at that stage.

Tilak Stands Tall in a High-Pressure Finish

With the match on a knife's edge, Tilak reached his century off 42 balls and stitched a crucial 58-run partnership with Vikram Naik. Vikram's cameo of 27 off 12 proved invaluable before he fell in the penultimate over. Needing 20 off the last two overs with only three wickets in hand, Tilak kept his composure to guide the Falcons home, finishing unbeaten on 136 off 56 balls — an innings featuring 14 fours and 8 sixes. The Falcons crossed the line in 19.4 overs, completing one of the most dramatic chases of the TG20 so far.

Brief Scores

Warangal Warriors 258/7 in 20 overs (Aman Rao Perala 142, Harshit Choudhary 35; Tilak Varma 2/29, Madhukar Manne 2/34) lost to Medak Falcons 259/7 in 19.4 overs (Tilak Varma 136*, Vikram Naik 27; Md Asif Mansoori 2/19, Shaunak Kulkarni 2/43) by 3 wickets.

The result keeps Medak Falcons in strong contention early in the tournament, with Tilak Varma's all-round captaincy emerging as a key factor to watch as TG20 progresses.