'Switching formats is tough but no excuses': Kishan, Tilak ready for AFG T20Is days after Duleep Trophy final

Ishan Kishan and Tilak Varma -- India’s T20I mainstays -- will be up against each other as captains of East and South Zone, respectively, in the Duleep Trophy final starting Sunday (Sep 6) at Chepauk in Chennai. While they have plenty riding on their shoulders ahead of the marquee clash, switching formats and style of play remains their primary concern. As India will face Afghanistan across three T20Is starting Sep 13 in Delhi, three days after the last day of the Duleep Trophy final, the two addressed the challenges of switching their game quickly.

Apart from Kishan and Tilak, batting prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who opens for East Zone, will also be part of the T20I squad for the Afghanistan series.

Kishan said it’s never easy to switch formats this quickly. The East Zone captain, who plays in the middle order in domestic cricket but opens for India in T20Is, explained its challenges.

"I don't know. How do I tell you? It's just about knowing what format you are playing," Kishan said on the eve of the Duleep final at Chepauk. "Sometimes it gets difficult when you are playing a Test match and suddenly you have to go and start hitting from ball one and suddenly you have to go back to your domestic team and you have to play a whole different role. But at the same time, I feel, as professionals it's our job to adapt, we cannot be coming up with excuses after knowing this is like your routine for next few days.

"So, it is better not to 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 T20 after this. So, my job will be different [in T20Is], but still I feel we are getting two days of practice before the Afghanistan first game, so it will be more than enough, I feel,” Kishan said ahead of the Duleep Trophy final in Chennai.

On the other hand, Tilak, who has frequently switched formats in recent months, also expressed similar concerns, adding that though all players are quick to adapt to the conditions, going from five-day cricket to a 20-over game isn’t the easiest option.

"We have played enough domestic games; we have played in every condition, so we can adjust to the conditions," Tilak Varma said.

"But it will be slightly challenging playing five days here and again joining the [T20I] team. But from here we are going to Delhi; there will be two days of break, so we can practice there and we have enough time as well, but it will be slightly challenging. We know how to change our mindsets and maintain our body with good fluids and everything, so we have played back-to-back games before in the domestic as well and international, so we are quite used to it,” he added.

Meanwhile, the 2026 Duleep Trophy final will see two top and star-studded teams facing off for the coveted prize, with several A-listers ready to grace the occasion.