Indore, October 11, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
India vice-captain Tilak Varma has credited the Almighty and dedicated mental preparation for his recent success in the middle order, saying he has worked hard in practice and mentally to develop the ability to finish matches for the team.
Tilak has delivered crucial unbeaten knocks in recent outings, scoring 44 against the West Indies in Ranchi and an unbeaten 51 as India retained its gold medal at the Asian Games in Japan earlier this month. Although his finishing skills were not needed in Lucknow, his performances have highlighted his growing responsibility in the middle order.
Speaking to broadcasters ahead of the third T20I against the West Indies in Indore, Tilak said he was grateful for his current form and believed his hard work was beginning to pay off.
“First of all, thank you for mentioning that about the Asian Games and World Cup. It always feels good whenever I hear about that. And right now, yes, God has been really kind to me. And right now, my form is also going really good,” he said.
Reflecting on his unbeaten innings in the previous match, Tilak described the finish as terrific but stressed that the team remained focused on the basics.
“And definitely, if you see, the way I finished that last match (was) terrific. But at the same point, again, we are focusing on our basics. Let’s see how it goes, and right now my form is good,” he added.
Mental Preparation for Middle-Order Responsibility
Tilak also spoke about adapting to a role that requires him to finish games rather than consistently bat in the top order. The left-handed batter acknowledged that he had limited experience at No. 4 but said he had become more comfortable with changing batting positions since the World Cup.
“Honestly, I haven’t played much at No. 4. You know, as our coach said, every batsman after… The openers are only fixed. Other than that, everyone keeps rotating. But I always say, batting up the order was my strength before, but now I got used to it since the World Cup,” Tilak said.
He explained that batting at No. 5 and No. 6 during the World Cup prompted him to work specifically on closing out matches from those positions.
“During the World Cup, I was batting at five and six. So from there, I was practising how I could finish the game from there. So mentally and in practice also, I have really worked hard. And yes, at the right moment, I have already said before that God is really kind, and yes, everything is going well,” he said.
Tilak’s comments underline his focus on adapting to the team’s middle-order requirements, with mental preparation and practice central to his efforts to become a more reliable finisher.
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