The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) named Tilak Varma as the vice-captain of the India National Cricket Team for the T20I format following the T20 World Cup 2026, with Shreyas Iyer as the newly appointed captain of the team, replacing Suryakumar Yadav.

While Shreyas Iyer was then well known for his leadership skills, Varma was mostly known as an attacking middle-order batter. So, when the board named Tilak Varma as the deputy of Iyer, there were some doubts.

Tilak Varma explains how he has evolved as a leader

Amid the ongoing away T20I series against the New Zealand National Cricket Team, Varma clarified that he got the leadership role because of his past experiences, where he was assigned leadership roles on multiple occasions for different teams. Varma made it clear to the reporters, ahead of the India vs New Zealand 4th T20I of the 5-match series, that he is not exactly a novice for the leadership role in the national cricket team's T20I setup.

On the eve of the match in Auckland, the vice-captain of the Men in Blue confronted the media in the pre-match press conference. He was asked to learn more as one of the leaders of the team and about his communication with the skipper, Shreyas Iyer. In his reply, Tilak Varma told the reporters that he has led the state cricket team in domestic cricket across all formats. He was elected as a leader of the India A cricket team as well.

Tilak Varma has gathered leadership experience through different opportunities

Through different opportunities, the batter got the opportunity to gain experience in leading a team. He has been using his experience while playing for the Indian cricket team at present, against New Zealand.

"In leadership, sir, now I say that now I have seen in domestic, I have done all the formats for my state and for a year now, I have done India A Series, Emerging, whatever it is, everywhere, so I have that experience, so the knowledge I have and whatever I can say, I always convey it in the field," Tilak Varma told the reporters.

Tilak Varma's bond with captain Shreyas Iyer

As the vice-captain of the Men in Blue brigade, the 23-year-old knows that communication is one of the keys to success. So, whenever he gets an opportunity, he shares his thoughts with Shreyas Iyer. Additionally, Iyer also comes to Varma to discuss their next strategic move during the matches.

"So, as a captain, it is difficult to cover everything, so there is a small communication between me and Iyer, where I can help Shreyas Iyer. Iyer also asks, so I take small roles in the field. I am enjoying it now, so we are getting good results by being a good combination," he added.

Growing and evolving as a leader 👏 🎥.🗣️ Vice-captain Tilak Varma on learning the ropes of leadership and his communication with Captain Shreyas Iyer 🤝 #TeamIndia | #NZvIND | @TilakV9 https://t.co/BII9ZcXV15

— BCCI (@BCCI) October 29, 2026

Team India has already claimed the 5-match T20I series by winning the first three matches. The remaining two matches have turned into a dead rubber of the tournament, and a prestige fight for the hosts, New Zealand.