Tilak Varma

Tilak Varma player profile

In 2022, when Tilak Varma was only 19, Rohit Sharma proclaimed he would soon be an all-format player for India. Such was his technique, temperament, and shot-making ability.

When Varma was growing up, his father did not have the resources to send him for private coaching. During that time, Salam Bayash, his first coach, took care of his fees and equipment needs and ensured Varma was not lost to cricket.

Varma made his first-class debut for Hyderabad in 2018-19. A year later, he was picked for the 2020 Under-19 World Cup in South Africa. He played all six games in India's run to the final, scoring 86 runs in three innings.

It was his performances in domestic cricket that piqued the interest of the IPL franchises. He was the second-highest run-getter for Hyderabad at the 2021-22 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, with 215 runs in seven innings at a strike rate of 147.26. At the IPL 2022 auction, Mumbai Indians bought him for INR 1.70 crore, and he became a key member of the side straightaway.

The performances in the IPL paved the way for his India selection. His T20I debut came against West Indies at Tarouba in 2023, where his first two scoring shots, off the second and third balls he faced, were sixes. An ODI debut followed soon after but a couple of freak hand injuries in 2024 briefly put his career on hold.

Tilak Varma IPL factfile

- Tilak Varma was picked by Mumbai Indians (MI) for INR 1.70 crore at the mega auction before IPL 2022.

- He became a key member of the side straightaway. He played all 14 games in his debut season and scored 397 runs at an average of 36.09 and a strike rate of 131.02.

- Next year, he took a notch higher, scoring 343 in 11 games, at an average of 42.87 and a strike rate of 164.11.

- IPL 2024 was his best in terms of runs but not in terms of strike rate. He finished the season with 416 runs and a strike rate of 149.64 with three half-centuries to be retained ahead of the 2025 season.