Who is the youngest Indian to score a 50 in T20Is? Tilak Varma joins elusive list

Tilak Varma dazzled everyone with his imperious batting in the IND vs WI 2nd T20, making his maiden fifty at just 20 years old. After the southpaw made his first fifty in international cricket, fans wondered whether Varma was the youngest Indian cricketer to do so. So, here are the youngest Indian batters to score 50 in T20Is:

Rohit Sharma (20 yrs 143d)

The youngest Indian player to score a fifty for India in T20Is is none other than current Indian skipper Rohit Sharma. Rohit did so in the first T20 World Cup in 2007 against South Africa. The Mumbai batter had made his debut in T20Is against England in the previous match but did not get a chance to bat. 

Rohit walked in to bat as India lost their first three wickets for just 33 runs, his first time batting in T20Is. His 50* off 40 balls helped India make 153 in the first inning. India went on to win the match by 37 runs, and Sharma was given the ‘Player of the Match’ award for his stunning debut batting performance.

Tilak Varma (20yr 271d )

Batting in his second T20I against the West Indies away from home, Tilak Varma showed great composure and poise. After India lost two wickets in just four overs, the southpaw came to bat and played a calm and calculated innings. The youngsters ended the match, making 51 off 41 balls and helping his side cross the 150-run mark.

Having made his debut in the previous match, Varma had started his career on a great note. The left-hander made 39 off 22 balls in his first match and then backed that up with a half-century.

Also Read: How is Suryakumar Yadav’s form in T20s? A look at his stats ahead of 3rd IND vs WI T20

Rishabh Pant (21yr 038d)

Explosive wicketkeeper batter Rishabh Pant achieved the milestone in just the 7th T20I inning he played for India. After making his debut in February 2017, Pant had to wait 1 year and 9 months to notch up his maiden fifty. In his previous six innings, the southpaw had managed to make just 79 runs, and a big knock was the final chance for the youngster to stay in the side.

Pant came in when India was 45-2, chasing 182 runs. He and veteran opener Shikhar Dhawan then stitched a 130-run stand to take the side home.

Robin Uthappa (21yr 307d)

Similar to Rohit Sharma, Robin Uthappa did not bat in his debut T20I match against Scotland. The right-hand batter then followed the same pattern and scored his maiden fifty in his second T20I. Similar to Rohit again, Uthappa’s fifty came in the T20 World Cup 2007 against arch-rivals Pakistan. 

Also Read: Tilak Varma dedicates maiden T20I half-century to Rohit Sharma’s daughter

Uthappa came in to bat at three and played a great knock amid partners falling on the other side. The match ended in a tie, with Pakistan losing Misbah-ul-Haq on the last ball as both teams made 141 runs.

Suresh Raina (22yr 090d)

Suresh Raina is considered one of the best T20I batters of all time. Although he is remembered for scoring the first hundred by an Indian in T20 cricket, he is also the fifth youngest Indian to make a T20I half-century.

Raina made his T20 debut in 2006 but had to wait three long years to get to his first fifty. The southpaw got to his first T20I fifty in just three innings, making 61* when none of the other batters crossed the 30-run mark. He was the lone performer with the bat, due to which India managed to score just 162 runs. Eventually, India lost the match by seven wickets.

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