Tilak Varma doesn't hide that he loves batting at No. 3. Two years ago in South Africa, he had requested Suryakumar Yadav, then India's T20I captain, to let him bat at that position so that he could express himself freely. Suryakumar gave up his spot for Tilak, who repaid the faith with back-to-back hundreds.

Fast-forward to 2026. Tilak is the vice-captain of the side but finds himself batting at No. 5, sometimes even No. 6. But he says he is enjoying this role too, because at the end of the day, he wants to win games for his team.

"I love batting at No. 3 - I have said that many times," he said on the eve of the fourth T20I against West Indies in Hyderabad. "At No. 3, you have the chance to bat in the powerplay when only two fielders are outside the 30-yard circle. So you can go and swing freely. So every batter enjoys that role, especially in T20s.

"But whatever the team needs, I want to step into that role. Right now, my role is to handle that middle phase, from No. 5, 6, 7. If we lose quick wickets, then I can take some time and take the game deep. If our top three bat till the 14th or 15th over, then I also know how to get going from the first ball.

"I have been practising with that mindset that I need to be ready to play both games. I have worked really hard and by God's grace, it's going well. So right now, I'm enjoying this."

When asked the changes he has had to make to adapt to his new role, Tilak said: "At No. 4 or 5, as I said earlier, sometimes wickets fall early. Sometimes only two-three overs are left and you have to start hitting straightaway. So you have to be mentally strong. You have to have confidence in yourself first. If you don't have confidence in yourself, the team won't have either.

"My coach has taught me since childhood that no matter what position you bat at, nothing is like winning the match for your team. So I always try to do that. And after that, I look at the conditions, which bowler I can go after, and which shots I can play on that wicket."

In the third T20I in Indore, Tilak was in the middle of reviving the innings after India lost four wickets in three overs. However, a bizarre run-out ended his knock prematurely. When Axar Patel hit Gudakesh Motie behind square leg, both he and Tilak felt the ball had reached the boundary line and, therefore, stopped running. Instead, Kamil Pooran had not only made the stop but also fired in the throw to the wicketkeeper.

Axar could see the ball coming and quickly made his ground but Tilak was caught unawares and was run out.

"I felt that the hoarding beyond the boundary line had flashed," he explained. "So I thought the ball hit the hoarding and came back inside. Axar also felt the same.

"Unfortunately, I was going towards the non-striker's end, so I could not see the throw coming in. Our team-mates were shouting from the outside but think it happens. The next time I will keep running until the umpire signals four."

Wednesday's match will be played at Tilak's home ground. Hyderabad has generally been a high-scoring venue but since the square has been relaid recently, it needs to be seen how the pitch plays.