‘Stay carefree. We are in the same team. There’s no big or small level here. We’re all together. Ask me anything, on cricket or otherwise.” 

This heartwarming message from Rohit Sharma was the ice-breaker for a young Tilak Varma to find his footing in the Mumbai Indians team. Needless to say, the young boy from Hyderabad enjoyed a breakthrough Tata IPL season in 2022 with 397 runs in 14 games. 

Varma’s exploits were simply an extension of his gradual rise as a cricketer, having featured in all formats of domestic cricket for Hyderabad, an Under-19 World Cup finalist in 2020. 

As the 19-year-old earned a call-up to the India A team for the series against New Zealand, we look at Tilak Varma’s humble rise to the cricket scene. 

In 2011, Tilak - then an 11-year-old - was spotted by his soon-to-be coach Salam Bayash playing tennis-ball cricket in the corner of Hyderabad. By a stroke of luck, it was an off day for Salam, who coaches at the Legala Cricket Academy. 

“He was young but was playing beautifully, stepping out, brilliantly pulling the tennis ball. I knew he has something special,” said Salam in an exclusive interview with Wisden India. 

Salam offered Tilak an opportunity to join his academy. However, like any budding cricketer, the youngster said that decision was up to his parents. 

Convinced that Tilak’s talent should not be ignored, Salam Bayash convinced his parents to entrust the youngster to him. He also got Tilak Varma admitted into a different school. 

Under Salam’s guidance, Tilak started getting involved in school tournaments and cricket clubs. By 2016, the young cricketer represented Hyderabad’s Under-14 and Under-16 teams. 

A left-handed cricketer himself, Tilak Varma grew up idolising former Indian stalwart Suresh Raina. Through Salam, Tilak eventually managed to meet Raina. 

While amazed at seeing Raina face-to-face, Salam hammered a point right away to Tilak Varma: “You need to play at this level, to play alongside him someday. I am banking on you to reach IPL and India level. You need to make your parents proud.” 

A determined Tilak held on to that thought, and perhaps, that was the turning point. 

Salam recalls an incident during a 2017 Under-16 Vijay Merchant Trophy game against Gujarat. With his pupil seemingly disturbed by the opposing bowlers’ tactics, Salam Bayash sternly instructed Tilak Varma to bat against 500 deliveries. “I warned him not to come before facing 500 balls,” Salam said. Tilak, in turn, scored 136 runs after facing 518 balls. 

Between 2018 and 2019, Tilak Varma took a few steps further in his hopes of playing senior-level cricket. Prolific returns in the Cooch Behar Under-19 and CK Nayudu Under-23 tournaments saw the youngster break into the Hyderabad senior team. Less than a year later, a chance in the 2020 U19 World Cup in South Africa soon came calling. 

While Tilak managed 86 runs in three innings at the World Cup, and his peers earned IPL contracts ahead of him, Salam gave Tilak a reality check - that he needs to step up. 

“You had few chances in the World Cup,” Salam told Tilak. “When you got a chance, you didn’t do too well. In the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, you scored two fifties. If you hope to play the IPL, that won’t do. You need to perform better next year,” he added. 

Tilak Varma didn’t let the advice go to waste, as he registered a batting average of 36 and a strike rate of 147 in the 2020-21 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. This came shortly after averaging 97 and hitting two centuries in the 2020/21 Vijay Hazare Trophy for Hyderabad. 

In February 2022, Tilak Varma reaped the fruits of his hard work as he was snapped for INR 1.70 crore by his dream team Mumbai Indians at the 2022 IPL auction. 

“I didn’t expect such a big amount,” Tilak reveals. “In my mind, I was hoping I’d go to Mumbai Indians. I really like them. At home, they were shocked at the price. They were crying out of happiness. I knew I’d get a gig, but I wasn’t expecting the price.” 

The effort and tireless sacrifices put in by Tilak Varma have earned him access to personalised coaches and grounds. 

Tilak, hailing from Balapur, maintains that he remains disciplined, motivated and focused on his dreams of representing and winning the World Cup for India. 

With his recent India A call-up, Tilak Varma is one step closer to reaching a part of his dream. However, the young cricketer never wants to change who he truly is. 

“I am still the same back home,” Tilak says. “In front of them [parents], how much ever I play, I’d always be a kid. I play good or bad, they’ll keep supporting me.” 

Tilak Varma has shown a glimpse of his immense talent with the willow in recent competitions, and it is just a matter of time before the 19-year-old can possibly become Indian cricket’s latest batting sensation.