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Tilak Varma scored a solid 38 on return while Narayan Jagadeesan slammed a fiery century as India A secured a 38-run win over USA in their ICC T20 World Cup warm-up match at DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on Monday.
Before the WC, India A is playing two warm-up matches, with this being their first one before the Ayush Badoni-led side takes on Namibia on February 6. Notably, the senior men's side is also slated to play a warm-up match ahead of their T20 World Cup 2026 campaign. They will face South Africa on February 4. Coming to the match, the USA won the toss and opted to field first. Priyansh Arya (28 in 13 balls, with four boundaries and two sixes) played a fiery cameo to start the innings with a 43-run stand with Jagadeesan, who went on to make 104 in 55 balls, with 11 fours and five sixes. Also, Tilak, who had a century partnership with the centurion, made an impressive 38 in 24 balls, with four boundaries and two sixes. Skipper Ayush Badoni (60* in 26 balls, with six fours and four sixes) also slammed a quickfire fifty, taking India to 238/3 in 20 overs, with Shubham Ranjane, Ali Khan, and Jasdeep Singh getting a wicket each. During the chase, USA did lose wickets regularly, but knocks from Andries Gous (44 in 31 balls, with five fours and two sixes) and Sanjay Krishnamurthi (41 in 18 balls, with two fours and four sixes), Ranjane (28 in 17 balls, with four boundaries) and Harmeet Singh (25 in nine balls, with two fours and two sixes) letting them give a fight as USA was skittled out for 200 runs in 19.4 overs. Ravi Bishnoi (3/37) led the wicket charts with his spin, while Naman Dhir (2/6) and Khaleel Ahmed (2/25) were also impressive with the ball. Tilak also got a wicket in his one over, where he gave 15 runs. Tilak has been out of action for almost a month, following a testicular surgery for an injury sustained during a Ranji Trophy fixture in January. Tilak had been ruled out of the T20I series against New Zealand, which India won recently by 4-1. Tilak's presence will be crucial for India at the top of the order in the T20 World Cup, having made 1,183 runs in 40 matches and 37 innings at an average of 49.29, with a strike rate of 144.09, including two centuries and six fifties. At number three, he brings a very Virat Kohli-esque game, capable of switching between stabilisation and acceleration, or vice versa, within a jiffy. In 15 innings at number three, he has made 542 runs at an average of 60.22 and a strike rate of over 160, including two centuries and three fifties in 15 innings and a best score of 120*. (ANI)
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