'I love playing Test cricket': After Duleep Trophy heroics, Tilak Varma opens up on his India ambition

Tilak Varma expressed his continued passion for Test cricket following South Zone's progression to the Duleep Trophy final. The young South Zone captain, 23, guided his team to the summit clash against East Zone after posting two unbeaten knocks of 116 and 51. Tilak, who is India's T20I vice-captain, said his desire to play in Tests stemmed from his love for the red-ball format, which he believes is his natural strength.

Although he has made 53 T20I and five ODI appearances for India over the past three years, Tilak emphasized that his success in white-ball cricket has not come at the expense of his red-ball ambitions. He explained that his entry into white-ball formats was due to the IPL, but his groundwork in red-ball cricket began as early as the age of 10.

Tilak further mentioned that his domestic red-ball opportunities have been limited due to India's international schedule in recent years, making it challenging for him to participate in the Ranji Trophy consistently. Despite this, he remains determined to secure more red-ball appearances and secure a place in the Indian Test squad.

Tilak's twin unbeaten innings of 116 and 51 sealed South Zone's spot in the Duleep Trophy final, where they will face East Zone at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on September 6.