India vice-captain Tilak Varma has put his recent run of form down to two things: hard work in the nets and a deliberate rewiring of his mindset. Speaking ahead of the third T20I against West Indies on 11 October 2026, the 23-year-old left-hander said the shift from his natural top-order game to a floating middle-order role demanded more than a few technical tweaks.
“God has been really kind to me. And right now, my form is also going really good,” Tilak said during a pre-match interaction with the broadcasters.
The numbers back him up. Tilak finished unbeaten on 44 against West Indies in the second T20I in Ranchi, and earlier in October he made an unbeaten 51 — off just 22 balls, according to Star Sports — during India’s gold medal-winning campaign at the Asian Games in Japan, an innings he played in the final against Pakistan. He noted that his finishing skills were not even needed in the previous match in Lucknow, but he was pleased with how he handled the job when Ranchi called for it.
From opener to finisher: a position that keeps moving
Tilak’s career has been a study in adaptability. He began as an opener, moved to No. 3 during the Under-19 World Cup, then settled at No. 4 in the IPL. For India, though, almost nothing has been settled.
“Honestly, I haven’t played much at No. 4. You know, as our coach said, every batsman after the openers, everyone keeps rotating,” he explained.
He pointed to the World Cup as the turning point. “Batting up the order was my strength before, but now I got used to it since the World Cup. During the World Cup, I was batting at five and six. So from there, I was practising how I could finish the game from there.”
On Star Sports, Tilak was candid about how disorienting the constant shuffling can be. “It has been tough. You can easily shift from No. 3 to 4 or from opening to No. 3 because it’s not a big difference. But shifting from 3 or 4 to No. 6 or 7 has been really tough. Yet, if that’s the team’s requirement, there is no option. You have to earn that position, and I’ve worked a lot in practice and mentally to bat at different positions,” he said.
The yorker problem, and how he trained for it
Bowlers live on the yorker in the final overs, and Tilak built his practice around it. “I’ve worked on remaining still and smashing the ball against yorkers in the end overs. When you bat down the order, the ball comes slower compared to when it hits the seam and comes through when you bat in the top order. The total mechanics change, and I’ve accepted mentally that I have to be able to do a job in the lower middle-order,” he told Star Sports.
He returned to the theme of preparation when speaking to the broadcasters before the third T20I. “So mentally and in practice also, I have really worked hard. And yes, at the right moment, I have already said before that God is really kind, and yes, everything is going well,” he added.
Where he would really like to bat
For all his acceptance of the finisher’s job, Tilak has not hidden his preference. “I always like batting in the top order, at No. 3,” he said, before tracing his journey through the batting order — opener in his early years, No. 3 at the Under-19 World Cup, No. 4 in the IPL, and effectively everywhere since.
“But since I started as an opener, even now, if I am asked to open, I’ll do it. I really love batting at 3, though,” he said.
It is a useful problem for India’s selectors to have. A left-hander who can anchor at three, accelerate in the middle overs and close out a chase at six or seven gives the team management options most sides would envy. The trade-off, as Tilak himself admitted, is that the constant repositioning is genuinely difficult — and that only sustained practice makes it survivable.
India’s XI for the third T20I
India made changes to their playing eleven for the third T20I, with West Indies winning the toss and opting to bowl first.
India: Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer (c), Tilak Varma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Naman Dhir, Axar Patel, Mayank Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Prince Yadav.
West Indies: Shai Hope (c/wk), Kamil Pooran, Shimron Hetmyer, Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford, Quentin Sampson, Keemo Paul, Roston Chase, Shamar Springer, Shamar Joseph, Gudakesh Motie.
Why this matters for India’s T20 plans
Tilak’s evolution matters beyond one series. India’s batting order beyond the openers has been deliberately flexible, and the team needs batters who can absorb that uncertainty without losing output. His unbeaten 44 in Ranchi and his 22-ball 51 in the Asian Games final against Pakistan suggest the experiment is working.
The player himself frames it as a matter of gratitude plus graft. The form, he believes, is a gift. The finishing, he knows, is earned — one yorker-drilling session at a time.
FAQ
Where does Tilak Varma like to bat?
Tilak Varma has said he “always like[s] batting in the top order, at No. 3.” He began his career as an opener, moved to No. 3 in the Under-19 World Cup and batted at No. 4 in the IPL, but he is willing to open or bat in the middle order if the team requires it.
What did Tilak Varma say about his recent form?
Speaking ahead of the third T20I against West Indies on 11 October 2026, Tilak Varma said, “God has been really kind to me. And right now, my form is also going really good,” crediting hard work in practice and mental preparation for his middle-order performances.
How has Tilak Varma prepared for finishing innings in the death overs?
Tilak Varma told Star Sports he has worked on “remaining still and smashing the ball against yorkers in the end overs,” and adjusted mentally to the slower ball speed that comes with batting in the lower middle order compared to the top order.