Indian batter Tilak Varma has been a mainstay of the T20I team and has played some crucial knocks for the side. Varma had hogged the limelight when he scored a match-winning knock in the Asia Cup final against arch-rivals Pakistan.

However, Varma, said his strength has always been red-ball cricket. The left-hander is leading South Zone with aplomb in the ongoing Duleep Trophy. Varma returned with unbeaten knocks of 116 and 51 in the semifinal of the tournament against North Zone and was awarded Player of the Match. After registering a seven-wicket win, South Zone has qualified for the final.

“I have always loved to play red-ball cricket, and I have never dreamt of playing white-ball formats for India, but that’s God’s plan. I have debuted in T20s and ODIs for India, but my strength has always been red-ball cricket,” Tilak said while talking to the reporters.

The youngster said he has been picked in India’s white-ball teams due to his performances in the IPL, but he has done a lot of hard work in the red-ball version.

“I have worked hard, no one has seen it, maybe since I was 10 years old, and now I am 23. I got selected to white-ball formats due to the IPL. But before that I have ground a lot in red-ball cricket,” he said, adding: “So, it’s always my strength and I love playing Test cricket, something that’s always there in my blood.”

Varma admitted he isn’t getting enough time to play the red-ball format in the domestic circuit due to national commitments.

“For my country, right now, I am available for T20s and ODIs, but I love to play red-ball cricket,” Tilak said. “But I don’t have much time to play domestic red-ball cricket because in the last three-four years I was trying to play the Ranji Trophy.”

“But I am not getting the time because I have an international schedule. So, I am trying to play as much red-ball cricket because I want to score there and come to the Indian side as well,” he concluded.

The Duleep Trophy final will be played between South Zone and East Zone from 6th September.