Record alert! Tilak Varma joins elite club with India's best catch ratio in T20Is

Tilak Varma

NEW DELHI: India vice-captain Tilak Varma may have endured an unusual run-out in the third T20I against West Indies, but the match also brought a significant personal milestone for the left-handed batter. Tilak became only the fifth Indian fielder to complete 50 catches in T20Is during Sunday's match in Indore, joining an elite list featuring Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya, Suryakumar Yadav and Virat Kohli.What makes Tilak's achievement particularly impressive is the efficiency with which he has reached the landmark. His 50 catches have come in just 68 T20I appearances, giving him a dismissals-per-innings ratio of 0.757 — the best among Indian fielders with at least 50 outfield catches in the format.

Globally, Tilak's ratio is second only to the United Arab Emirates' Muhammad Waseem, who has taken 76 catches in 99 outings at a ratio of 0.767.

Among the 34 players to have taken at least 50 outfield catches in men's T20Is, only Waseem has a better ratio.

Tilak joins India's elite catching club

Tilak's achievement places him alongside some of India's most accomplished fielders in the shortest format. Rohit leads the list with 65 catches, followed by Hardik with 64, Suryakumar with 58 and Kohli with 54.

Most catches as a fielder for India in T20Is

• Rohit Sharma — 65
• Hardik Pandya — 64
• Suryakumar Yadav — 58
• Virat Kohli — 54
• Tilak Varma — 50

Reaching the milestone in just 68 appearances underlines Tilak's contribution in the field, with his catches-per-innings record placing him among the most efficient outfielders in men's T20I cricket.

Bizarre run-out mars Tilak's outing

The milestone came during a match in which Tilak was also involved in an unusual dismissal. Batting in the 17th over, he and Axar Patel appeared to believe that West Indies fielder Kamil Pooran had touched the boundary rope while stopping a shot off Gudakesh Motie.

The pair completed a single and exchanged a fist bump, assuming the ball would be called a four. But Pooran had kept the ball in play and returned it quickly. Axar made his ground at the striker's end, while Tilak continued towards his crease, seemingly unaware of the situation.

Motie collected the ball and broke the stumps at the bowler's end, with the third umpire confirming the run-out.Tilak departed for 28 off 16 balls, including four boundaries. India, however, recovered to post 223, powered by Abhishek Sharma's 69 off 30 balls, and went on to beat West Indies by 14 runs.Arshdeep Singh claimed three wickets and Naman Dhir took two as West Indies finished on 209/7. The victory gave India a 2-1 lead in the five-match series.