Chennai, September 5, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
India cricketers Tilak Varma and Ishan Kishan have admitted that the short turnaround between the Duleep Trophy final and the upcoming T20I series against Afghanistan will be “slightly challenging”, but said adapting to different formats is part of their responsibility as professionals.
Tilak and Ishan will lead South Zone and East Zone, respectively, in the Duleep Trophy final, which begins on Sunday at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
The final is scheduled to conclude on September 10, leaving just two days before the players are expected to prepare for the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan, beginning September 13.
The demanding switch involves not only a short recovery period but also a complete change in format and approach. Tilak, Ishan and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi are set to move from the demands of red-ball cricket to T20 cricket within a matter of days.
Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Ishan acknowledged the difficulty of the transition but said players must adapt to the demands of each format.
“I don’t know. How do I tell you? It’s just about knowing what format you are playing,” Ishan said on the eve of the final.
“Sometimes it gets difficult when you are playing a Test match, and suddenly you have to go and start hitting from ball one, and suddenly you have to go back to your domestic team, and you have to play a whole different role. But at the same time, I feel, as professionals, it’s our job to adapt; we cannot be coming up with excuses after knowing this is like your routine for the next few days,” he added.
Ishan said players need to remain mindful of the demands ahead rather than focus on the limited preparation time.
“I will be playing T20 after this. So my job will be different [in T20Is], but still I feel we are getting two days of practice before the Afghanistan first game, so it will be more than enough, I feel,” he said.
Tilak echoed Ishan’s assessment and described the turnaround as challenging, while also believing the two-day gap would provide sufficient time to prepare.
“But it will be slightly challenging playing five days here and again joining the [T20I] team. But from here we are going to Delhi; there will be two days of break, so we can practice there and we have enough time as well, but it will be slightly challenging,” Tilak said.
He added that players are accustomed to managing their bodies and adjusting their mindset after playing matches in quick succession.
“We know how to change our mindsets and maintain our body with good fluids and everything, so we have played back-to-back games before in the domestic as well as international, so we are quite used to it,” he said.
East Zone and South Zone will meet in the Duleep Trophy final with the title at stake.
East Zone are seeking their first Duleep Trophy triumph since 2012-13, when they defeated Central Zone in the final to claim their second title.
South Zone have enjoyed considerably greater success in the competition, having won 12 titles, with their most recent triumph coming in 2023.
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