Picture Credit: IPL
The Indian Premier League has always promoted the motto ‘Talent meets Opportunity’ and recently a young player has again lived up to this statement. Mumbai Indians’ batter Tilak Varma has blasted on the scene as he scored a scintillating 61 off 33 balls against the Rajasthan Royals.
As the five-time champions were chasing 193, Varma came on at the score of 40. Then he and Ishan Kishan piled up to score a partnership of 81 runs. In the end, MI failed to chase the score but Tilak Varma won countless hearts after his knock.
The 19-year-old hails from Hyderabad and was part of the recent India squad for the U-19 World Cup. Varma didn’t have an incredible tournament but performed well in the domestic tournaments. In a recent interview, Tilak Varma talked about how he wants to buy a house for his family from the earnings of the IPL.
While speaking to Cricbuzz, he said, “Growing up, we’ve had a lot of financial difficulties. My father with his meagre salary had to look after my cricket expenses as well as my elder brother’s studies. In the last few years, with some sponsorship and match fees, I could just about take care of my cricketing expenses.”
“We don’t own a house as yet. So with whatever I have earned in this IPL, my only aim is to get a house for my parents. This IPL money gives me the luxury to play freely for the rest of my career,” he added.
“The day the IPL auction was going on, I was on a video call with my coach. My coach started tearing up when the bids kept going higher. After I was picked, I called up my parents. They too started crying over the call. My mother was struggling to get words out,” he added.
“He wasn't scared of the big names” - Ravi Shastri
Former India all-rounder and head coach, Ravi Shastri also praised Tilak Varma for his recent performance. While speaking to Cricinfo, the 59-year-old said, “I like his temperament very much. He wasn't scared of the big names. He was very calm and composed and has an all-around game with great shots; especially in front of the wicket and the sweep.”
“He used the pace really well too. This is a good omen for Mumbai Indians because Suryakumar Yadav is not in the side and they are missing him very much. They need strength and stability in the middle order and that will come only when Suryakumar Yadav returns. So, the innings he played today will benefit Tilak a lot as the tournament proceeds”