Tilak Varma ready to anchor or attack for India in Hyderabad
Tilak Varma said he is prepared to either anchor an innings or attack for India in the fourth T20I against the West Indies in his hometown of Hyderabad on Wednesday. The 23-year-old vice-captain also reiterated his longstanding preference for batting at No. 3.
Some of Tilak’s best international performances have come at No. 3, including two centuries during the T20I series in South Africa in 2024, but he has more recently settled into a middle-order role, often coming in around No. 5. The added responsibility of the vice-captaincy has changed his remit within a team that currently has an established top order, meaning adaptability has become a priority. With the top order in good touch, opportunities for the middle order have been limited at times, a situation Tilak says he accepts.
“I love batting at No. 3, and I have said that many times. But I'm someone who always wants that pressure when the team needs me. I want to step up and take that role,” Tilak said at the pre-match press conference on Tuesday. He made clear that personal preference will not override team requirements.
Tilak outlined how he alters his approach depending on match circumstances. “If we lose quick wickets, then I can slightly take my time and take the game deep. I can do that role,” he said. “But if the openers or the top three batters bat until the 14th or 15th over, then I know how to change gears and get going from the first ball. I have been practising for that, especially with the mindset.”
He pointed to a recent example of that flexibility in a high-pressure game. At the Asian Games final, Tilak played an unbeaten 51 off 34 balls against Pakistan, helping India fight back alongside Shivam Dube, an innings cited in the team context for its composure and adaptability.
Statistics in the article underline his effectiveness across positions: he has scored 443 runs in 13 T20I innings at No. 3, averaging 55.37 with a strike rate of 169.73 and two centuries; in the middle order he has accumulated 1,140 runs in 43 innings at an average of 45.6 and a strike rate of 144.85. Those figures are referenced as evidence of his capability to perform either as a top-order specialist or a middle-order finisher.
The match will also serve as a homecoming for Tilak, who grew up in Hyderabad and will play before a home crowd as vice-captain at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, where the pitch has been relaid with fresh soil. “You cannot go all out from the first ball without assessing the conditions. In one-day cricket, you can take five or six balls to understand the wicket, but in T20 cricket, you have only one or two balls before you need to get going,” he said. “Haven't seen the track yet, but will see how the conditions behave initially and go accordingly. It is a fresh soil track, so let's see how it goes.”
India lead the five-match series 2-1 and can secure an unassailable advantage with a win on Wednesday, while the West Indies will seek to level the contest.
