"If I perform well in the longest format, it’s very easy to go and deliver with the white ball" - Tilak Varma focused on bowling in first-class season

Tilak Varma is as focused on his bowling as he is on batting for the upcoming first-class season to turn himself into an all-rounder. Renowned for his versatility with the bat, the 21-year-old has bowled sparingly in his domestic and international career.

Having debuted in the white-ball format for India last year, Tilak has bowled 12 overs thus far, picking up two wickets in T20Is.

At the end of a practice session during the ongoing 2024 Duleep Trophy, Tilak told reporters, as quoted by Sportstar:

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"Since this Indian Premier League (IPL) season, and from last year in general, I have been working on my bowling a lot. Especially with the red ball, I am focusing a lot on my game as an all-rounder. If I perform well in the longest format, it’s very easy to go and deliver with the white ball, so that’s why I’m bowling a lot nowadays."

Despite being part of the India A squad for the Duleep Trophy, Tilak could not make the cut in the playing XI for the opening round. However, he maintained that team results over individual performances should always take precedence.

"For every player, it’s a selection match. Duleep Trophy is a big tournament. But ultimately, you are a part of a team; we always play for everyone on the team. Whatever the situation needs, we just need to bat according to that, and we always want to win the match for our team. If you play for the team and win the matches, there is always a place open in the [Indian] team. So, that’s where I focus, and whatever match I play, I just want to win," Tilak added.

With some of the players likely to prepare for the India-Bangladesh first Test (beginning September 19), Tilak could get game time in India A's round two outing against India D, starting September 12.

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"If you see international cricket, the pace of cricket is slightly higher, slightly faster" - Tilak Varma

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Tilak Varma has impressed in his brief T20I career [Credit: Getty]

Tilak Varma felt adapting to the fast-paced nature of international cricket compared to the domestic circuit was the most challenging aspect.

The 21-year-old has been impressive in his brief T20I career, averaging 33.60 at a strike rate of almost 140 in 16 outings. However, Tilak hasn't been at his best in the 50-over format for India, averaging only 22.66 at a strike rate of 57.14 in four games.

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"With the Indian team, if you see international cricket, the pace of cricket is slightly higher, slightly faster. So, you need to adapt quickly there. You won’t get many chances to settle in. It will be slightly faster there. So, I learned that you should adapt as soon as possible. The bowlers and batsmen there are quite mature. They’ve got a lot of experience, and you need to adjust to that, the situation and play accordingly," Tilak said in the same interview.

Tilak Varma's last game for India came during the home T20I series against Afghanistan at the start of this year.

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