Tilak Varma, 19, impressed Mumbai Indians’ think-tank during the team’s practice sessions earlier this week and as reported in Sunday mid-day, the left-handed batsman from Hyderabad was handed an IPL debut against Delhi Capitals at the Brabourne Stadium on Sunday.
Varma smashed a 15-ball 22 (3×4) and that could have been good enough for his parents—dad Nagaraju and mother Gayatri—who came down to Mumbai to watch their son play for the first time.
‘Avoided watching him play’
“We had never been to a venue to watch him play. Even when he was leading Hyderabad in age group tournaments, we avoided being at the ground. But this time, he requested us and we are here to enjoy his game. Going by his commitment and hard work, I am confident he will make the most of opportunities,” said Nagaraju, 52, an electrician by profession, prior to Sunday’s game.
Varma, who scored 381 runs for Hyderabad in 15 T20 games and 784 runs from 15 List A matches, has played four first-class games. He has endured a plethora of struggles. Nagaraju recalled: “There were difficult times, but a lot of people helped us, like his coach Salam Bayash sir. When he was an U-14 player, he used to practise and play matches at Uppal [Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium]. We needed to wake up at 4 am to reach the ground, which is 30km away from our home. I had to drop him and attend to my work and used to pick him up in the evenings. Those five years were hard, but the efforts have paid off.” Varma’s mother Gayatri too was thrilled to be at the Brabourne Stadium and wanted her son to show what he is made up of in his first IPL game. “I am very happy today as we are here to watch his first IPL match. Tilak told us not to worry as he was practising very well and trying his best to contribute to the team,” Gayatri said.
‘Happy and confident’
Varma made a video call to his Hyderabad-based coach Bayash on Sunday morning and had a word with his academy teammates. “We were practising at our academy nets in the morning when Tilak called. He spoke with a few players and said he is very happy and confident. We wished him well and he responded in a confident manner. His call was motivating for our players too,” Bayash remarked.
