Christchurch, October 25, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
India’s Hyderabad-born duo of Tilak Varma and Nitish Kumar Reddy celebrated their match-winning partnership after guiding India to a thrilling victory over New Zealand in the second T20I at Hagley Oval, reflecting on their earlier disappointment against the West Indies and the importance of patience and perseverance.
Tilak smashed an unbeaten 51 off 26 deliveries, while Nitish remained not out on 26 off 13 balls as the pair stitched together an unbeaten 69-run stand to help India chase down the target of 181 with four wickets in hand. India sealed the contest on the penultimate ball on Saturday.
Their performance came after the two had been part of India’s unsuccessful chase against the West Indies in Hyderabad, where the hosts fell short despite attempting to overhaul a massive target of 248.
Speaking in a video shared by the BCCI after the Christchurch win, the two players praised each other’s contributions. Nitish described Tilak as his Player of the Match, while Tilak called Nitish the game-changer.
Recalling their previous disappointment, Tilak said the pair had hoped to turn things around in Hyderabad, but believed success would come at the right time if they continued working hard and following the process.
“God always has the right time for us. We have to keep following the process and keep working hard, and the right things will come at the right time,” Tilak said.
The left-hander also highlighted the challenging batting conditions in Christchurch, where a slower surface, a large ground and difficult conditions for hitting sixes required the batters to rely on smart shot selection and quick running between the wickets.
Tilak said the pair focused on rotating the strike, running hard for twos and singles, and finding boundaries when opportunities arose.
Nitish, meanwhile, praised Tilak for supporting Naman Dhir during the middle overs. Dhir’s aggressive 31 off 17 balls helped revive India’s chase after the team slipped to 70/5 in 10.5 overs.
Nitish said Tilak showed good judgment by giving Dhir the strike while the latter was attacking, allowing the partnership to develop without taking unnecessary risks.
Tilak also revealed that he had promised head coach Gautam Gambhir and assistant coach Sitanshu Kotak that he would take the game deep. Although he initially wanted to attack the spinners, he adjusted his approach while Dhir was scoring quickly before accelerating alongside Nitish to complete the chase.
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