Tilak’s 99 was a continuation of an excellent run of form since returning to red-ball cricket during the Duleep Trophy. After peeling off scores of 116 not out and 51 not out in the semifinal, Tilak had declared that red-ball cricket is “in his blood,” and he reiterated the sentiment again.
Updated : Sep 09, 2026 19:07 IST , Chennai - 3 MINS READ
When he drilled a return catch back to Md Kounain Qureshi to end his 211-ball knock, it was his first dismissal in 583 deliveries, a run that stretches back to India’s final T20I against England way back at the beginning of July.
“The result has gone in their favour, so scoring a hundred or being not out doesn’t matter to me,” Tilak reflected phlegmatically after the day’s play. “A hundred might have been something for working hard, but cricket is a funny game. You never know what is in the coming games.”
That unfortunate dismissal notwithstanding, his innings was a continuation of an excellent run of form since returning to red-ball cricket during the Duleep Trophy. After peeling off scores of 116 not out and 51 not out in the semifinal, Tilak had declared that red-ball cricket is “in his blood,” and he reiterated the sentiment again.
“I started my professional cricketing career with red-ball cricket. I have played many years with the red ball,” he said. “Red-ball cricket has always been my favourite game, it’s my A-game, but over the last five or six years, I’ve been playing a lot of white-ball cricket.”
He also expressed the desire to play Test cricket for India, saying, “I always tell everyone that I want to play red-ball cricket for India, that’s my biggest goal. I really love playing red-ball cricket. As a kid, I always thought I’d be playing Test cricket first, then white-ball cricket.”
Tilak has been part of the leadership group for a while now. He has already led India-A a couple of times in white ball games before and now, he’s the captain of South Zone in the Duleep Trophy. The 23-year-old – who is also the vice-captain of the T20I side – said that the opportunities have given him plenty to take way.
“One of the main things is how to quickly adapt to your players off the field,” Tilak said of his takeaways from leading. “When you speak to them off the field, you learn how they are and how you can use them under pressure, especially in white-ball matches.
Who can be your player? That’s crucial for a captain. So when you spend time off the field with them, you get to know these things.”
Next on the cards for Tilak is a return to white-ball cricket as India takes on Afghanistan in a three-match T20I series. The tight turnaround time (the series begins on September 13) presents some challenges, but Tilak is confident he can handle them.
“I wouldn’t say that easy, but we have got a couple of days to practice,” he reflected. “When you have practiced enough, changing from domestic to international, red-ball to white-ball, you can change your mindset.”
“I’m confident that two days of practice is enough.”
Published on Sep 09, 2026
