Tilak Varma embraces middle-order role and finds a different kind of fun

Tilak Varma, India’s T20I vice-captain, has spoken openly about accepting a positional shift away from No. 3 and finding genuine satisfaction in his new middle-order responsibilities. The 23-year-old, who built his T20I reputation at No. 3, has batted there only once since India’s must-win Super 8 match against Zimbabwe at the 2026 T20 World Cup.

Tilak had scored 651 runs at a strike rate of nearly 151 at No. 3 in his T20I career, including both his centuries. Those hundreds came in November 2024, when he struck 107* at Centurion and 120* at Johannesburg against South Africa. Despite that record, the team management reshuffled the batting order after India lost to South Africa in the 2026 T20 World Cup Super 8, and Tilak was moved down for the Zimbabwe game. He responded with 44* off 16 balls at No. 6, helping India through a must-win situation. India went on to win the 2026 T20 World Cup, and Tilak was part of that squad.

“When the team needs it, I want to step up for that role. Right now, I think my role is to handle the middle phase, like overs 5, 6, 7. If quick wickets go [fall], I can take my time slightly and take the game deep. I can do that role,” Tilak said, as quoted by Cricbuzz.

Why has Tilak Varma accepted batting lower in the order?

Tilak has been clear that his comfort with the positional change comes from a team-first outlook instilled in him from a young age. He does not frame the move as a setback but as a responsibility he is willing to carry.

“By God’s grace, it’s going well. I have worked really hard. Right now, I’m enjoying this moment. When someone like Ishan, Shreyas and the openers are batting, it’s really a treat to watch. So I don’t want to disturb any role. Whatever the team needs, I want to do it. You have to have confidence in yourself. If you don’t have confidence in yourself, the team will never have confidence in you. Since childhood, my coach has taught me that whatever the role, whatever situation you are in, if you win the game for the team, it’s a different kind of fun,” Tilak said.

Tilak has made peace with his new role lower down the order. In fact, he sees an opportunity in it and takes real satisfaction from what he is tasked with. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi offered a contrasting perspective on the No. 3 position.

“At No. 3, you have the freedom. There are only two fielders outside and you will get to bat in the Powerplay. And you don’t have any expectations, so you can swing freely. Every batsman enjoys playing that role, especially in T20,” he said.

How did Tilak explain the Indore run-out and what does the Hyderabad T20I mean to him?

Tilak’s run-out in Indore drew attention after he stopped mid-run, believing the ball had crossed the boundary. He explained that he saw a flash from the digital boundary hoardings and believed a fielder had touched the hoarding while flicking the ball in.

“A lot has been said about the run out. I saw a flash [from the digital boundary hoardings] and personally felt that the fielder touched the hoarding with his hand while flicking the ball in. Axar [Patel] also felt the same, so we both stopped at the same time. It wasn’t that he or I stopped first. The ball was thrown to Axar’s end, so he could see it, but at the non-striker’s end, I was facing the other way. Our teammates were shouting from outside, ‘go, go, go.’ If Axar had known any better, he would have shouted and I would have run,” Tilak said.

The fourth T20I against West Indies is scheduled at Hyderabad, which is Tilak’s home ground. After all that has happened in recent weeks, the vice-captaincy tag carries extra weight for him ahead of this fixture.