Tilak Varma details revised No.5/6 role ahead of Auckland T20I

Tilak Varma outlined his altered batting approach for India ahead of the fourth T20I against New Zealand at Eden Park in Auckland on Friday, October 30, saying his role has shifted as he moves down the order to No.5 or No.6.

Varma, who is India’s vice-captain, described the difference between batting at No.3 and occupying a lower-middle-order slot, noting that the latter demands earlier aggression but not reckless hitting. India reached New Zealand after a home T20I series against the West Indies, a schedule Varma said left little time to adjust to the conditions.

On how his instincts have changed, Varma said: "I already had the power game; I have scored runs at number three as well. Now, batting at number five or six, I think about going for a boundary off the very first ball only if it's there to be hit," Tilak said. "Otherwise, I focus on taking the game deep. I take a bit more time. Initially, I focus on singles and doubles, finding gaps for fours or two runs," he added.

The new approach was put into practice in the second T20I in Christchurch, when Varma came in at No.6 with India 70/5 while chasing 181 and remained unbeaten on 51 off 26 balls. Partnering Nitish Kumar Reddy, who made 26 off 13, Varma shared an unbeaten 69-run stand for the seventh wicket that secured a four-wicket victory.

That 69-run partnership was recorded as India's highest seventh-wicket stand in men's T20Is, and Varma's innings was cited in the report as his most significant contribution so far in the series. He has scored 58 runs across the first three matches of the five-match contest, with the unbeaten half-century in Christchurch singled out.

Addressing the busy tour schedule and team standards, Varma said: "At this level, we cannot make excuses. We are at the highest level, and we need to set standards for the youngsters who look up to us," he said. He also relayed a message from head coach Gautam Gambhir: "Gautam sir made it clear in team meetings that this is a long tour and the standard we set as a T20 side will provide momentum for the ODI and Test squads," he added.

India have already secured the five-match series after winning the first two games by four wickets and then chasing down 199 in 13.2 overs in Wellington to take a 3-0 lead. "We are thinking this is a great opportunity to achieve a clean sweep. The next goal is to win the upcoming match and give the Indian crowd a great chance to witness a 5-0 series win," he said.

The fourth T20I is scheduled to start at 12.30 pm IST at Eden Park on Friday, October 30; India will look to extend their winning run, while Tilak will be aiming to build on his match-winning knock and continue settling into his role in the middle order.