Tilak Varma played a match-defining unbeaten 51 off 26 balls at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch on Saturday, 24 October, steering India to a last-over, come-from-behind victory over New Zealand in the second T20I. The win put India 2-0 ahead in the five-match series, with Nitish Kumar Reddy contributing an unbeaten 26 off 13 deliveries as the pair added an unbroken 69 runs to chase down a target of 181 with four wickets in hand and one ball to spare.

What Gambhir and Kotak Told Tilak Before the Game

Handed the Player of the Match award at the post-match presentation, Tilak disclosed the message he received from head coach Gautam Gambhir and batting coach Sitanshu Kotak ahead of the contest. 'Just before today’s game, I was talking with coach Gautam sir and Sitanshu Kotak Sir. I was talking with both of them, and they said one thing: “We all believe, and the whole of India believes in you. If you stay till the end, then you will win the game for us,”' Tilak said after the match.

That message, he added, became his anchor when India were reeling at 70 for 5 after 10.5 overs. 'I was just thinking about playing till the end… I wanted to take the game as deep as possible, and at the end of the day, again, what everyone has believed and has done. So I’m really proud of myself,' he said.

How India Rebuilt from 70 for 5

With five wickets down inside 11 overs, Tilak was joined first by Naman Dhir, who struck a brisk 31 off 17 balls. The two added 42 runs for the sixth wicket, keeping the chase alive on a surface that had slowed considerably compared to the first T20I. Tilak revealed the strategy he communicated to Dhir: 'I was telling Naman that we’ll stay till the end… we’ll push hard in running between the wickets when spinners were bowling.'

Dhir was eventually dismissed by New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner, who claimed a four-wicket haul in his final over. That brought together the two Hyderabad-based players — Tilak and Nitish — for the decisive unbroken partnership of 69. 'After that, you know, the Hyderabadi boys are in play today, Nitish Reddy and myself, and we are really happy that we finished the game,' Tilak said.

The Tactical Blueprint Against Spin

Tilak explained that the slower pitch shaped their approach against the spinners. Rather than going aerial, the plan was to work the gaps and run hard between the wickets, accumulating crucial runs. 'I think four to five twos we have got in spinners. So they were really crucial, those eight to ten runs. So I think we played smartly there,' he noted.

Once the fast bowlers returned, the calculus shifted. 'We knew that we could hit sixes against the fast bowlers. We needed that pace in this huge ground. So we were waiting for that, and we finished off in style,' Tilak added. The approach mirrored the composure he showed in the Asia Cup final against Pakistan, reinforcing his reputation as a big-game finisher for India.

Series Standing and What Comes Next

India now lead the five-match T20I series 2-0, with the remaining three games still to be played. The victory underscores the depth in India’s middle order, with Tilak, Nitish, and Naman all making significant contributions under pressure. The series continues to be a proving ground for India’s next generation of T20 finishers ahead of future global tournaments.