Come Thursday! Tilak the all-rounder is all set to flaunt his whites in the Duleep Trophy. Yes, we are all excited in equal measure to see our young star in the big league.

We all know how dangerous Tilak Varma the batter is. He has showcased it time and again in his eventful career right from the time he made his debut for Mumbai Indians in IPL 2022.

He has become a household name, notching up 1156 runs in three seasons at an impressive average of just under 40 and a strike rate of 146.32. Such was Tilak’s potential that Rohit Sharma declared, in 2022, that the rookie would become an all-format player soon, all of this at just 19 years of age.

In just over a year, he proved RO right, making his T20I debut at the West Indies in 2023. Currently part of the India ‘A’ team in the domestic season opening Duleep Trophy, Tilak has his eyes set on the longer format with an added emphasis on his bowling skills.

“Since this Indian Premier League (IPL) season, and from last year in general, I have been working on my bowling a lot,” Tilak was quoted as saying ahead of the second round in a chat with the press.

“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.”

For someone who got off the mark in international cricket with consecutive sixes off the second and third ball, adapting to the pace of the game at the highest level was the key learning he got in his stint 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. So, I learned that you should adapt as soon as possible. The bowlers and batters there are quite mature. They’ve got a lot of experience, and you need to adjust to the situation and play accordingly,” he explained.

Duleep Trophy provides an excellent opportunity for Tilak to further his game in red-ball cricket. He had an excellent season in the Ranji Trophy last year with a tally of 412 runs from just five innings, including three hundreds, at an astronomical average of 137.33. On the back of his exploits, Hyderabad climbed up from the Plate Division to the Elite Division last year.

“It was unfortunate we were in the plate division. It is good to be back in the league again. The ultimate goal for me is, obviously, winning the Ranji Trophy, but I know it’s still far away from happening. Right now, we are just focusing on the qualification [to the knockouts], and after that, we’ll plan one by one according to the game at hand,” the southpaw said.

Our man is leaving no stone unturned as he gets ready to take flight in red-ball cricket once again. What better stage than the Duleep Trophy to make a grand entry?

“For every player, it’s a selection match. The 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. So, if I do well here, I think automatically I will reach the ultimate goal.”