{"id":2674,"date":"2026-10-14T08:38:13","date_gmt":"2026-10-14T08:38:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsraise.com\/in\/2026\/10\/14\/tilak-varma-embraces-lower-order-role-vice-captain\/"},"modified":"2026-10-14T08:38:13","modified_gmt":"2026-10-14T08:38:13","slug":"tilak-varma-embraces-lower-order-role-vice-captain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsraise.com\/in\/2026\/10\/14\/tilak-varma-embraces-lower-order-role-vice-captain\/","title":{"rendered":"India&#8217;s Tilak Varma embraces lower\u2011order role as vice\u2011captain"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<!-- Quick Adsense WordPress Plugin: http:\/\/quickadsense.com\/ -->\n<div class=\"9fece8afa224fd09e54b043d0febfb58\" data-index=\"1\" style=\"float: none; margin:10px 0 10px 0; text-align:center;\">\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js\"><\/script>\r\n<!-- NR ATF -->\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-8898941184964366\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"4839033563\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"auto\"\r\n     data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script>\n<\/div>\n<p>India&#8217;s T20 vice\u2011captain Tilak Varma told reporters in Hyderabad that he is content with the newer responsibilities that come with batting lower down the order. The conversation came ahead of the fourth T20 international against the West Indies, a match that will also be the first time Varma plays at his home venue.<\/p>\n<p>Varma, who has amassed 651 runs at an impressive strike\u2011rate of nearly 151 in his brief T20 international career, has traditionally been most effective at the No.\u202f3 slot. His two unbeaten centuries \u2013 107* in Centurion and 120* in Johannesburg \u2013 arrived in consecutive innings in November\u202f2024 and cemented his place at the top of the order. He opened the 2026 T20 World Cup at No.\u202f3 and remained there for the majority of India&#8217;s campaign.<\/p>\n<p>Following a defeat to South Africa, team management reshuffled the batting line\u2011up for a crucial encounter with Zimbabwe. Varma was moved to No.\u202f6, where he produced a rapid 44* off 16 balls. Since that performance, he has occupied the No.\u202f3 position only once.<\/p>\n<h2>Versatility in the T20 format<\/h2>\n<p>Varma highlighted the range of roles he has performed for India. When placed at No.\u202f3, he described the position as offering \u201cfreedom\u201d because only two fielders are outside the circle, allowing him to attack during the Powerplay without heavy expectations. He added that many batsmen enjoy that liberty.<\/p>\n<p>He also spoke about the anchor responsibilities that typically fall to the No.\u202f4 and No.\u202f5 spots. \u201cSometimes wickets tumble early, and you have to hit from the first ball with just a couple of overs left,\u201d he said, noting that the skill set required for that scenario has been honed since childhood and demands strong mental resilience.<\/p>\n<p>Beyond anchoring, Varma emphasized the need for a finisher who can accelerate when the top order consumes the majority of the innings. He said he has practiced the \u201cmindset\u201d required to switch gears quickly, especially when the team needs a quick surge in the final overs.<\/p>\n<h2>Embracing the new role<\/h2>\n<p>When asked about his feelings toward the shift, Varma said he \u201cloves to bat\u201d at No.\u202f3 but is equally eager to take on the tougher job lower down. He explained that his current focus is on the middle phase \u2013 roughly overs five to seven \u2013 where he can either consolidate after quick wickets or build a platform for a later surge.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI thrive on pressure,\u201d he asserted. \u201cIf the team needs me to step up, I will do it. Whether it\u2019s taking the game deep after early losses or hitting from the first ball when the openers have batted deep, I am prepared for both.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Varma credited his confidence to early coaching, stating that his mentor taught him that confidence in oneself translates into team confidence. He described his approach as assessing the pitch, identifying the bowler he can target, and adapting his shot selection accordingly.<\/p>\n<h2>Leadership and future outlook<\/h2>\n<p>The Hyderabad press conference also marked Varma\u2019s first appearance as vice\u2011captain in front of a home crowd. He described the honor as \u201ca proud moment\u201d and said it added extra weight to his performance.\n<\/p>\n<p>He reflected on a recent controversial run\u2011out in Indore, where he stopped mid\u2011run believing the ball had reached the boundary. Varma laughed that both he and the fielder Axar Patel thought the ball had touched the hoarding, leading to a brief confusion. \u201cIn life, I will never stop, even if the umpire signals a boundary,\u201d he joked.<\/p>\n<p>Looking ahead, Varma said his aim is to continue contributing wherever the team places him, noting that competition for the top four spots is intense, with players like Vaibhav Sooryavanshi still seeking a regular place.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBy God\u2019s grace, things are going well,\u201d he concluded, adding that watching teammates such as Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer and the openers perform is \u201ca treat.\u201d He reaffirmed his commitment to adapt, support the team\u2019s needs and enjoy the \u201cdifferent kind of fun\u201d that comes from winning for India, regardless of batting position.<\/p>\n\n<div style=\"font-size: 0px; height: 0px; line-height: 0px; margin: 0; padding: 0; clear: both;\"><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>India&#8217;s vice\u2011captain Tilak Varma says he welcomes the pressure of batting at No.\u202f6, highlighting the mental strength required for the middle\u2011phase and finish\u2011off roles.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2675,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[299],"tags":[2951,1698,1701,1740,2950],"class_list":["post-2674","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-batting-order","tag-india-t20","tag-t20-world-cup","tag-tilak-varma","tag-vice-captain","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsraise.com\/in\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2674","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsraise.com\/in\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsraise.com\/in\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsraise.com\/in\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsraise.com\/in\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2674"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newsraise.com\/in\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2674\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsraise.com\/in\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2675"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsraise.com\/in\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2674"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsraise.com\/in\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2674"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsraise.com\/in\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2674"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}