'We sometimes call someone a superstar very early' - Aakash Chopra shares his views on Tilak Varma after Chepauk heroics

Rising star Tilak Varma continued his impressive run in the shortest format, scoring a match-winning half-century at Chepauk in the second T20I against England, on Saturday, January 25. He stood firm, despite India losing wickets from the other end. Eventually, the Hyderabad batter finished unbeaten on 72 off 55 balls as the hosts chased down a 166-run target with two wickets and four balls to spare.

Aakash Chopra lauded India's T20 captain Suryakumar Yadav's decision to allow Tilak to bat at the No. 3 position during the five-match T20I series against South Africa last year. The southpaw smashed two centuries in that series and has continued the purple patch against the Three Lions. Chopra expressed his confidence in Tilak's abilities, asserting that the 22-year-old has the ingredients to become a superstar.

"Tilak Varma, the superstar. We sometimes call someone a superstar very early. We also call someone a great or a legend very early these days. I am not saying that he is already a superstar but he is on the way," Chopra said in a recent video on his YouTube channel.

"He went till the end and didn't throw away his wicket. 18 runs were required, eight wickets had fallen, and he had already hit five sixes, so he could have tried to hit three more sixes. However, he said he would go deep. The match was at Chepauk, it's Dhoni's home, so the guy should go deep while chasing," he added.

Tilak Varma's staggering numbers in T20Is

Tilak made his T20I debut against the West Indies in August 2023. He has played 21 T20Is so far for the Men in Blue. The Guntur-born has amassed 635 runs at a whopping average of 52.92 and a commendable strike rate of 159.55.

Also Read: 'I wanted to target their best bowler' - Tilak Varma on smashing Jofra Archer during 2nd T20I in Chennai

In the 2024-25 season, the youngster has played just six matches, scoring 371 runs at an average of 185.50 and a strike rate of 175. Before this season, he had two half-centuries to his name. He has added one fifty and two tons to his name in the last few months, establishing himself as a reliable batter in India's T20 setup.