South Zone captain Tilak Varma has led his side admirably in the Duleep Trophy 2026, scoring pivotal knocks in the semi-final and the final stages. The southpaw, after a match-winning century in the penultimate clash against North Zone, stepped up with a valiant effort in the final against East Zone as well.
After the Ishan Kishan-led side posted a mammoth 708 in the first innings, Tilak Varma played a lone knock of 99 runs off 211 deliveries in reply and made a strong case for the Indian red-ball side. The youngster is an established part of the T20I setup, having recently been appointed as vice-captain, and is on the brink of an ODI comeback as well.
Amid the rise, he has given the selectors a massive headache as India explore their red-ball batting options for the remainder of the 2025-27 World Test Championship (WTC) cycle.
On that note, let us take a look at the three stats that show why Tilak Varma should be in India’s Test setup after his Duleep Trophy 2026 performance.
#1 Dismissed after 540 deliveries in the Duleep Trophy 2026
Tilak Varma was unbeaten in both innings for South Zone in their win over North Zone in the Duleep Trophy 2026 semi-final, playing out 329 deliveries for his century and half-century. He then went on to play for 210 more balls in the final against East Zone, before finally being dismissed in the tournament for the first time on the 540th delivery he faced.
At the end of South Zone’s first innings in the final, no batter has faced more deliveries in the Duleep Trophy 2026 than Tilak Varma. In fact, no player has even faced 500 deliveries in the tournament, with Ishan Kishan placed second with marathon effort of 429 balls in two more innings compared to his international teammate.
Since Tilak Varma was dismissed only once, his average in the Duleep Trophy 2026 also reads a stunning 266, far more than any other player.
The sheer hunger for runs along with the grit and temperament in testing conditions is something that the Indian team could use in the long run. While there are talented players like Sarfaraz Khan and Sai Sudharsan waiting in the pipeline, the magnitude of Tilak Varma’s recent achievements prove that he also needs to be in the mix.
#2 One of the highest first-class averages among active Indian players
Tilak Varma’s Duleep Trophy 2026 heroics have led to a massive spike in his first-class average. His unbeaten knocks in the semi-final coupled with his heroic 99 in the final have pushed his average close to the 60-run mark. His average had touched 58.60 when he was inching towards his hundred, but dropped down to 57.12 after his dismissal.
Despite the minor drop, he still holds one of the highest first-class batting averages in the country. As things stand, only Sarfaraz Khan and Rinku Singh hold a superior first-class batting average among active Indian players.
Although Tilak Varma has not featured in much red-ball cricket over the last two years owing to his commitments with the T20I team, he had a strong start to his domestic career with Hyderabad after making his debut in the 2018-19 season. After his U-19 World Cup campaign in 2020, followed by the COVID-19 break, he had his landmark season in 2023-24, where he helped Hyderabad win the Plate Group title and earn promotion.
With a strong red-ball foundation now set, established by impeccable numbers, the next step might be a maiden call-up to the senior team.
#3 Three hundreds and three fifties in his last 10 first-class innings at an average of 83.00
Form is the most valuable currency for a player as far as national team selection is concerned, and Tilak Varma is among the few who currently has the high denomination values with him. Despite white-ball cricket largely being his forte in recent times, with important assignments for Team India along with the IPL, the southpaw has not let it affect his red-ball credentials.
Over his last 10 innings in first-class cricket, Varma has scored 581 runs, crossing the 50-run mark on six occasions.
He has also produced solid numbers while playing for India ‘A’, which is usually the stepping stone for the senior squad selection. In eight matches from 2022 to 2024, the left-handed batter has amassed 423 runs at an average of 47.00, including two hundreds.
Edited by Gokul Nair