New Delhi: Like every other young boy from an Indian household, Tilak Varma too started playing tennis ball cricket on the streets and dreamt of becoming a professional cricketer. But unlike millions of talented young hopefuls who fail to make the cut, Tilak found his calling after being spotted by coach Salim Bayash. The local coach saw something special in Tilak and decided to take him under his wing. This is where Tilak’s real journey began.
The 11-year-old boy playing tennis-ball cricket in the streets had found the platform at the Legala Cricket Academy in Lingampally that became the launchpad for his success. From travelling over 40 kilometres each way to practice at the academy to flying with Indian cricketers to play in big international tournaments, Tilak has come a long way.
From his sensational performances in the world’s biggest T20 league to smashing back-to-back T20I centuries against South Africa last November, the Hyderabad cricketer has been making headlines since joining the Mumbai Indians ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022.
A new star is born!
The mature 69-run knock under pressure in the Asia Cup 2025 final, though, is the career-defining knock that establishes him as a mainstay of the Indian T20I team and cements his status as India’s next white-ball superstar.
Generally known for his flamboyance, Varma showed immense maturity and composure to steer India’s chase. If taking your team home from a perilous position (20/3) in a high-pressure final against Pakistan is not a mark of great character and a mentally tough attitude, then what is?
Varma’s knock was also a testament to the importance of how important playing red-ball cricket. Varma has been a consistent scorer in the red-ball format in the domestic circuit, as evidenced by his temperament throughout the innings. Judging by his Asia Cup final performance, the Test recall isn’t far away for the Hyderabad cricketer.
A knock for the ages
Against Pakistan, Tilak read the situation perfectly and adapted according to the conditions. He combined power, class, and shot selection expertly and even made batting look easy in such a difficult situation.
While Tilak should take all the plaudits for his remarkable rise in international cricket, the sacrifice of his parents, N. Nagaraju and Gayathri Devi, who kept Tilak’s dream alive despite financial hardships, and coach Bayash’s hard work and belief in his disciple are also key to Tilak’s remarkable success story.
The southpaw made an impact whenever he got the chance to bat in the Asia Cup 2025. But with Abhishek Sharma doing all the damage at the top, Tilak was only left to play a supporting role.
In adversity, though, he stood the tallest and emerged as the main man.