Tilak Varma Aims for Indian Test Team After Stellar Duleep Trophy Performance

Tilak Varma's Aspirations in Test Cricket

Tilak Varma, a prominent figure in India's T20I lineup with 64 white-ball matches under his belt, is now setting his sights on joining the Indian Test squad. He expressed that red-ball cricket is his preferred format and represents his 'A game.'

Impressive Performance in Duleep Trophy

In the ongoing Duleep Trophy, Varma has demonstrated his red-ball skills with impressive scores of 116*, 51*, and 99 for the South Zone. He currently ranks as the second-highest run-scorer in the tournament, accumulating 266 runs, just behind East Zone's captain Ishan Kishan, who has scored 409 runs.

"While I wouldn't say red-ball cricket comes naturally to me, I started my professional career in this format and played extensively with it. Although I've focused on white-ball cricket in recent seasons, red-ball remains my favorite format," Varma stated.

Duleep Trophy Final Highlights

Leading the South Zone in the Duleep Trophy final against East Zone, Varma's team was bowled out for 336 in their first innings, giving East Zone a substantial 372-run lead. Varma narrowly missed a century, scoring 99 runs off 211 balls, while Devdutt Padikkal and Chama V Milind contributed 62 and 43 runs, respectively.

Tilak's Reflections on His Innings

Discussing his innings, Tilak emphasized its significance for him but prioritized the team's requirements. He adopted a cautious, session-by-session strategy instead of taking unnecessary risks. "This innings was crucial for me, but my focus was on what the team needed. I could have taken more risks earlier, but the plan was to approach it session-by-session," he explained.

Tilak also mentioned that he believed South Zone could have aimed for a draw by forming steady partnerships, but the loss of wickets shifted the momentum in favor of East Zone. "Cricket can be unpredictable; if we could bat through a session with support from other batsmen, I was confident we could push for a draw. Unfortunately, we lost wickets, leading to their victory," he added.

Current Match Status: East Zone Dominates

As for the match status, East Zone has solidified their lead in the Duleep Trophy 2026 final, reaching 212/5 in their second innings by the end of Day 4 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. They now lead by 584 runs after posting a massive total of 708 in their first innings. Kumar Kushagra ended the day unbeaten on 34 off 55 balls, while Md Kounain Quraishi remained not out on 26 off 30 deliveries.