Tilak Varma: "You can’t go from the first ball in T20s" on eve of fourth IND-WI T20I in Hyderabad
Tilak Varma said in Hyderabad on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, that "you can’t go from the first ball in T20s" as India prepare for the fourth T20I against the West Indies in the five-match series.
The Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium at Uppal, noted for its flat surfaces and high-scoring T20 games, will host the match and features several homegrown players in the Indian side as they seek to cement a lead in the series.
On the eve of the fourth T20I, Tilak addressed pitch concerns and preparation: "We were discussing that the wickets here have been changed. But in T20s, you can’t go from the first ball. We’ve played everywhere. Each player has played more than 50 games in the format. You take one or two balls and get to know how the wicket is behaving, what shots to play and more," Tilak said on Tuesday (October 13, 2026), the eve of the fourth T20I.
Describing his preferred batting position and responsibilities, Tilak said he is comfortable at No. 3 and adaptable to match situations: "Right now my role is to handle the middle phase. If quick wickets go, I can take my time and take the game deep. If the top three bat till the 14th or 15th over, I know how to change gears and go from the first ball. I’ve been practising for both."
The 23-year-old's recent form was cited as context for his remarks: he scored an unbeaten 44 off 18 balls in Ranchi and followed that with a 16-ball 28 in Indore, performances he discussed ahead of the Hyderabad fixture.
Tilak also pointed to local familiarity among teammates as an advantage in Uppal: "Yes, we’ll have a slight edge. Ishan [Kishan], Nitish [Kumar], Abhishek and myself have played here many times. More than me, the others have played here more because every year they play half of their IPL games here. So they know how the wicket behaves, how the outfield is and more".
Tilak made these comments on the eve of the fourth T20I, a match that could potentially decide the outcome of the five-match series between India and the West Indies.
