Tilak Varma has continued to strengthen his red-ball credentials with a superb run in the 2026 Duleep Trophy. The South Zone batter has remained unbeaten on 116, 51 and 99 across his three innings, underlining his growing consistency in first-class cricket. His performances have also come alongside increased responsibility as a leader. Tilak has guided South Zone into the Duleep Trophy final and recently led India A during their tour of Sri Lanka.

While his individual form has been impressive, South Zone face a difficult task in the final, with East Zone establishing a commanding lead with only one day remaining. Tilak, however, is already looking ahead. The 23-year-old has shifted his focus towards the upcoming three-match T20I series against Afghanistan, which begins this weekend in New Delhi. Despite having only a short window to transition from red-ball cricket to the demands of T20 cricket, the youngster remains confident.

“Yeah, the (personal) form has been really good. But at the same point, it’s a different format (against Afghanistan). So, I should change my gears again. I’m pretty confident about it,” Tilak Varma said on Wednesday. “My goal now is to win the Afghanistan series. So I’ll be going with the same confidence and let’s see how it goes,” he added.

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Tilak admitted that switching formats within a few days is not necessarily straightforward. However, his experience moving between domestic red-ball cricket and international white-ball cricket gives him confidence that he can sbqsak quickly.

“I would not say it is that easy, but we have got a couple of days to practise. We have also changed from red ball to white ball in both domestic and international cricket. So, this is also the same thing,” he explained. The left-hander also pointed to his previous experience of making a similar transition after playing Ranji Trophy cricket. “I have played Ranji Trophy earlier, and from there I went to the international white-ball series. I got adjusted to it. So, yeah, I’m confident that two days of practice is enough,” Tilak said.

Although Tilak has established himself primarily through his T20I performances, red-ball cricket remains his preferred format. In 24 first-class matches, he has scored 1,729 runs at an impressive average of 55.77, including eight centuries and six half-centuries.

“I have started my cricketing career professionally with red-ball cricket. But if you have seen me since the last few years, I have been playing white-ball cricket a lot,” he said. With leadership becoming another important part of his development, Tilak believes captaining young teams has provided valuable lessons.

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“It’s been a lot of learning because if you see now, we have got quite a few youngsters,” he said, reflecting on his South Zone and India A captaincy experiences. “When you have great talents and that eagerness to win from each and every individual, then it is easy for the captain. There are many things I can learn as a captain. I keep growing as a captain, and right now I’m just enjoying it,” Tilak added.