“Great chance to witness a 5–0 series win” - In-form India star player's bold remark ahead of remaining NZ vs IND 2026 T20Is

India vice-captain Tilak Varma believes the team has a golden opportunity to complete a 5-0 clean sweep on the back of the 3-0 lead in the five-match T20I series against New Zealand. The fourth T20I will be held at Eden Park in Auckland on Friday, October 30, with the series already secured after the thumping win in Wellington recently.

The first two wins of the series both came by four wickets, the second at Hagley Oval in Christchurch, where Tilak's unbeaten 51 off 26 balls carried India past 181 from 70 for 5. The third T20I ended up being a historic demolition. Daryl Mitchell's unbeaten 89 off 52 lifted New Zealand to 198 for 3, but Abhishek Sharma's stunning 113 off 38 balls, including 11 sixes, finished the chase with 40 balls remaining.

“We are thinking this is a great opportunity to achieve a clean sweep. The next goal is to win the upcoming match and give the Indian crowd a great chance to witness a 5–0 series win," Tilak Varma said in the pre-match press conference (via RevSportz).

India's sole 5-0 clean sweep in T20I history came against New Zealand in 2020. The Virat Kohli-led side won all five matches after a historic run chase in the series opener followed by back-to-back super overs midway through the series.

“When you see a 3–0 lead, people think it’s straightforward” - Tilak Varma on India's hard work to win NZ vs IND 2026 T20Is with matches to spare

Tilak Varma opened up about the challenges the squad faced in terms of travelling and adapting to conditions quickly. The T20I squad only had a short turnaround after their drawn home series against West Indies.

“It’s challenging. When you see a 3–0 lead, people think it’s straightforward, but as you said, it’s tough, especially with the time-zone differences. At this level, we cannot make excuses. We are at the highest level, and we need to set standards for the youngsters who look up to us," he said.

He credited Gautam Gambhir with keeping the group fixed on what comes after these five games.

“Gautam sir made it clear in team meetings that this is a long tour and the standard we set as a T20 side will provide momentum for the ODI and Test squads," he added.

The in-form southpaw also spoke about his evolution as a finisher amid his recent heroics in the middle order after a drastic shift from No.3.

“I already had the power game; I have scored runs at number 3 as well. Now, especially batting at number 5 or 6, I think about going for a boundary off the very first ball only if it’s there to be hit. Otherwise, I focus on taking the game deep. I take a bit more time. Initially, I focus on singles and doubles, finding gaps for fours or two runs," Tilak Varma concluded.

Tilak Varma played a crucial role in India's stunning win in the second T20I after adding 42 off 25 balls with Naman Dhir for the sixth wicket, then 69 unbeaten off 30 with Nitish Kumar Reddy for the seventh, India's highest stand for that wicket in men's T20Is. He finished on 51 not out from 26 balls, with six fours and a six, and took the Player of the Match award after the last-over win.

Looking for fast live cricket scores? Download CricRocket and get fast score updates, top-notch commentary in-depth match stats & much more! 🚀☄️