File Pic: Ishan Kishan, left, and Tilak Varma (AP Photo)
Challenges of Format Transition for Players
Kishan and Tilak are set to captain East Zone and South Zone, respectively, in the Duleep Trophy final, which kicks off in Chennai on Sunday and runs until September 10. Following this match, India will commence a three-match T20I series against Afghanistan in New Delhi, leaving players with limited time to adapt to a different format.
Kishan, who is included in the T20I squad, highlighted the challenges of switching between formats. He remarked on the difficulty of transitioning from a five-day format to a fast-paced T20 game. “It is just about knowing what format you are playing. I know it gets difficult when you are playing Test match and suddenly you have to go and start hitting from ball one in white ball format,” he stated during the pre-match press conference.
He acknowledged the tight schedule, noting, “Yes, it will be slightly challenging…playing five days here (Duleep Trophy) and again joining the (India) team. From here we are going to Delhi, so, there will be like a two-day break. We can practice there. It will be slightly challenging.”
Despite the constraints, Kishan expressed confidence in the preparation time, saying, “But at the same time be aware and be just mindful of what is going to happen and I will be playing T20I after this. So, my job will be different. I feel we are getting two days of practice before the first game against Afghanistan. So, it will be more than enough I feel.”
He scored 328 runs in three innings, including two centuries, and was named Player of the Series. His participation was subsequently expected to go ahead, alongside Kishan and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. South Zone will also be strengthened by the arrival of Devdutt Padikkal, who comes into the final after a spectacular Test series in Sri Lanka.
Tilak had earlier made it clear that he wanted to play the Duleep Trophy final despite his India commitment, pointing to the two-day gap before the Afghanistan series.