Challenging to join T20 after Duleep, it’s our job to adapt: Tilak, Kishan

Tilak Varma and Ishan Kishan admitted that it is “tough” to join India’s T20I squad for the three-match series against Afghanistan right after the Duleep Trophy final, but understood the need to adapt to the situation and as professional cricketers they can’t offer “excuses.”

The five-day domestic fixture, which starts here on Sunday, is scheduled for a September 10 finish, and India will face Afghanistan in the first of the three T20Is in New Delhi on September 13.

“It is just about knowing what format you are playing. I know it gets difficult when you are playing Test match and suddenly you have to go and start hitting from ball one (in white-ball format) and then suddenly you have to go back to your domestic team and you have to play a whole different role,” Kishan, who is leading East Zone, said in the pre-match press conference.

Kishan, who is a part of India’s T20I squad, found a supporting voice in Tilak Varma, South Zone captain and India’s T20I vice-captain.

“Yes, it will be slightly challenging…playing five days here (Duleep Trophy) and again joining the (India) team. From here we are going to Delhi, so, there will be like a two-day break. We can practise there. It will be slightly challenging,” he said.

So, how to mitigate the situation? Kishan and Tilak banked on their ability to adapt.  “We have played enough domestic games, we have played in every condition, so we can adjust. We know how to change our mindsets and maintain our body with good fluids and everything. “We have played before in domestic as well as international back-to-back games, so we are quite used to it,” he said.  It may be recalled that Tilak had openly manifested his desire to play in the Duleep Trophy final after winning the semifinal in Bengaluru. Kishan too joined Tilak on the adaptability road.

“I feel as professionals it is our job to adapt. We cannot come up with excuses after knowing this is your routine for the next few days. So, it is better to not be in a situation where we have to make excuses. But at the same time be aware and be just mindful of what is going to happen and I will be playing T20I after this. So, my job will be different. But still I feel we are getting two days of practice before the first game against Afghanistan. So, it will be more than enough I feel,” he added. However, Tilak will not be alone in his task of manning South’s batting after the addition of in-form Devdutt Padikkal.

“Yeah, it will be a big boost for us. The kind of form he (Padikkal) is in, it will be really helpful for us and he can share his experience with the players. We have got quite a few young guys on our side and it will be really helpful.”

Tilak said the Karnataka left-hander will bat at Number 3, a position where batted in India ranks. “Padikkal will be batting at number 3 and his coming into the side will strengthen our batting line-up, especially with the kind of form we have seen from Padikkal in the last 2 or 3 games. He has done really well. It will be a big boost for us.” Similarly, East Zone will have Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to depend on to make an impact up the order. For the record, this will be Sooryavanshi’s first five-day game in representative career. Whether it is U-19, Ranji Trophy or Duleep Trophy, he has so far played only 4-day games.

“I feel Vaibhav is very smart for a 15-year-old boy. He knows what he is doing, he has been in this situation and I have heard him speaking to other players as well. So, there is no doubt if he has played 4 day or 3-day cricket earlier and this is a 5-day game, I think you just need to get runs out of him and that is what he is willing to do,” said Kishan.