India, Sept. 6 -- Tilak Varma and Ishan Kishan admitted that it is "tough" to join India's T20I squad for the three-match series against Afghanistan right after the Duleep Trophy final, but understood the need to adapt to the situation and as professional cricketers they can't offer "excuses."

The five-day domestic fixture, which starts here on Sunday, is scheduled for a September 10 finish, and India will face Afghanistan in the first of the three T20Is in New Delhi on September 13.

"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) and then suddenly you have to go back to your domestic team an...