Tilak Varma Aims for Indian Test Team After Stellar Duleep Trophy Performance
Tilak Varma's Aspirations in Red-Ball Cricket
Chennai [India], September 9: Tilak Varma, a prominent figure in India's T20I lineup with 64 white-ball international appearances, is setting his sights on joining the Indian Test squad. The talented batter expressed that red-ball cricket is his preferred format and represents his 'A game.'
In the ongoing Duleep Trophy, Varma has demonstrated his prowess in red-ball cricket, scoring 116*, 51*, and 99 for the South Zone.
Currently, he ranks as the second-highest run-scorer in the tournament with a total of 266 runs, just behind East Zone captain Ishan Kishan, who has scored 409 runs.
Varma shared his thoughts on red-ball cricket, stating, "I wouldn’t say it comes naturally, but I started my professional career in this format and played it for many years. Although I have played a lot of white-ball cricket recently, red-ball remains my favorite – it’s my A game," according to Cricinfo.
Leading 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 significant 372-run lead.
Varma narrowly missed a century, finishing as the top scorer with a solid 99 runs off 211 balls. Devdutt Padikkal added 62 runs from 104 balls, while Chama V Milind contributed 43 runs off 68 deliveries.
Discussing his innings, Tilak emphasized the importance of focusing on the team's needs rather than personal milestones. He adopted a cautious, session-by-session strategy instead of taking unnecessary risks.
"This innings was crucial for me, but my main focus was on the team's requirements. I could have taken more risks earlier, but the plan was to approach it session-by-session," he remarked.
Tilak also expressed his belief that South Zone could have aimed for a draw by building steady partnerships, but the loss of wickets ultimately favored East Zone.
"Cricket is unpredictable – if I could bat through a session with another batsman, I was confident we could push for a draw. Unfortunately, we lost wickets, and the outcome tilted in their favor," he noted.
As for the match, East Zone solidified their dominance in the Duleep Trophy 2026 final, reaching 212/5 in their second innings, leading by 584 runs at the end of Day 4 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
East Zone, having posted an impressive total of 708 in their first innings, now holds a commanding lead. Kumar Kushagra ended the day unbeaten on 34 off 55 balls, while Md Kounain Quraishi remained not out on 26 off 30 deliveries. Kushagra hit three fours, and Quraishi struck two fours and a six.