No. 5? No problem: Tilak Varma explains his changing role in India's T20I team

India vice-captain Tilak Varma has explained how moving down the batting order has changed his approach, with the left-hander balancing early boundary options with the need to take the game deep. With India leading New Zealand 3-0, he is also eyeing a clean sweep.Tilak Varma says moving from No. 3 to No. 5 or No. 6 has changed his batting approach. (Courtesy: AFP)New Delhi,Oct 29, 2026 11:09 ISTTilak Varma has had to rethink his approach as he moves down India's batting order, with the left-hander now looking for scoring opportunities from the very first ball when batting at No. 5 or No. 6. The India vice-captain, however, insists that the change is not about attacking blindly, but knowing when to take risks and when to keep the innings moving.Speaking ahead of the fourth T20I against New Zealand, Tilak explained how his role lower down the order differs from batting at No. 3, where he has more time to settle in."I already had the power game; I have scored runs at number three as well. Now, batting at number five or six, I think about going for a boundary off the very first ball only if it's there to be hit," Tilak said."Otherwise, I focus on taking the game deep. I take a bit more time. Initially, I focus on singles and doubles, finding gaps for fours or two runs," he added. The approach was evident in India's second T20I in Christchurch. Walking in at No. 6 with India struggling at 70/5 while chasing 181, Tilak stayed unbeaten on 51 off 26 balls. Alongside Nitish Kumar Reddy, who scored 26 off 13, he helped India pull off a four-wicket win with an unbeaten 69-run stand for the seventh wicket. It was India's highest seventh-wicket partnership in men's T20Is.NO EXCUSES FOR INDIA'S BUSY SCHEDULEIndia arrived in New Zealand after a home T20I series against the West Indies, leaving little time to adjust to different conditions. Tilak said the demanding schedule could not become an excuse, particularly for a side expected to set standards for younger players. "At this level, we cannot make excuses. We are at the highest level, and we need to set standards for the youngsters who look up to us," he said.He also pointed to head coach Gautam Gambhir's message that the T20I side's performances could help set the tone for India's wider tour across formats."Gautam sir made it clear in team meetings that this is a long tour and the standard we set as a T20 side will provide momentum for the ODI and Test squads," he added.TILAK EYES CLEAN SWEEP AGAINST NEW ZEALANDIndia have already secured the five-match series, winning the first two games by four wickets before chasing down 199 in just 13.2 overs in Wellington to take a 3-0 lead. Tilak has scored 58 runs across the first three matches, with his unbeaten half-century in Christchurch standing out as his most significant contribution so far."We are thinking this is a great opportunity to achieve a clean sweep. The next goal is to win the upcoming match and give the Indian crowd a great chance to witness a 5-0 series win," he said.The fourth T20I will be played at Eden Park in Auckland on Friday, October 30, with the match scheduled to begin at 12.30 pm IST. India will look to extend their winning run, while Tilak will be aiming to build on his match-winning knock and continue settling into his role in the middle order.- Ends