Coming from steering South Zone into the Duleep Trophy final, captain Tilak Varma made a clear push for India’s Test side as well, stating that first-class cricket remains the true form of his game despite his limited-overs fame. He made twin unbeaten knocks of 116 and 51 against North Zone, guiding his squad to a seven-wicket semifinal win as well.

Speaking to reporters via TOI following the match, India’s T20I vice-captain said, “I have always loved to play red-ball cricket, and I have never dreamt of playing white-ball formats for India, but that’s God’s plan. I have debuted in T20s and ODIs for India, but my strength has always been red-ball cricket.”

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“I have worked hard, no one has seen it, maybe since I was 10 years old, and now I am 23. I got selected to white-ball formats due to the IPL. But before that I have ground a lot in red-ball cricket. So, it’s always my strength and I love playing Test cricket, something that’s always there in my blood,” he again added.

With international cricket all around the calendar, white-ball players hardly get the chance to play the long format of the game. Tilak also echoed the same as well. He added that a crowded international calendar has frequently limited his domestic appearances as well.

“For my country, right now, I am available for T20s and ODIs, but I love to play red-ball cricket. But I don’t have much time to play domestic red-ball cricket because in the last three-four years I was trying to play the Ranji Trophy.””But I am not getting the time because I have an international schedule. So, I am trying to play as much red-ball cricket because I want to score there and come to the Indian side as well,” Tilak Varma concluded.