Name: Tilak Varma
Tilak Varma is an Indian international cricketer known for his skills as a left-handed batsman and a part-time off-spin bowler. He made his international debut for India in a T20I match against the West Indies on August 3, 2023. Domestically, he represents Hyderabad and plays for Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Varma was also a member of the Indian squad that secured victory in the 2023 Asia Cup.
From a young age, Varma displayed an interest in cricket. At 11 years old, he was discovered playing tennis ball cricket by coach Salim Bayash, who subsequently took him under his wing. Varma trained at the Legala Cricket Academy in Lingampally, Hyderabad. During his early years, Bayash provided transportation for Varma to the academy, a journey of over 40 kilometres each way, until his family moved closer to facilitate his training.
Varma made his first-class debut for Hyderabad in the 2018–19 Ranji Trophy on December 30, 2018. In this tournament, he played seven matches, scoring 215 runs with a strike rate of 147.26. He made his Twenty20 debut in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy for Hyderabad on February 28, 2019.
His List A debut came on September 28, 2019, playing for Hyderabad in the 2019–20 Vijay Hazare Trophy. Over five games, he scored 180 runs and took four wickets. In December 2019, Varma was selected for India's squad for the 2020 Under-19 Cricket World Cup, where he played six games and scored 86 runs.
He replicated his performance in the 2021-22 Vijay Hazare Trophy, scoring 180 runs and taking four wickets across five games.
In February 2022, Varma was bought by Mumbai Indians for Rs. 1.7 crore in the IPL auction. His first significant performance came in his second IPL match, where he scored 61 runs off 33 balls against the Rajasthan Royals at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. In April 2023, he scored 84 runs off 46 balls against Royal Challengers Bangalore. During the playoff against Gujarat Titans, Varma made a rapid 43 runs from 14 balls.
Varma received his first call-up to the Indian national team for the T20I series during the tour of the West Indies in July 2023. He made his T20I debut on August 3, 2023, in the series opener, scoring 39 runs from 22 deliveries and taking two catches. On August 6, 2023, he scored his first international fifty in the second T20 match against the West Indies, making him the second youngest Indian to score a half-century in Men's T20I after Rohit Sharma.
He was the highest run-scorer for the Indian team during the West Indies tour. Additionally, Varma was included in the Indian squads for the three-match T20I tour of Ireland and the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China.
He made his One Day International (ODI) debut on September 15, 2023, against Bangladesh during the 2023 Asia Cup.
Tilak Varma was part of the Indian squad that won the 2023 Asia Cup, marking a significant achievement early in his international career.
Varma has demonstrated significant potential and skill in domestic and international cricket throughout his burgeoning career. His performances in various formats and tournaments continue to highlight his versatility and capability as a promising young cricketer for India.
