"He will lead India in the future" - Hyderabad's cricket circle joyous to see Tilak Varma doing well for the country
Thakur Tilak Varma, that's the name. The poster boy of Hyderabad cricket has taken the world by storm with his impressive performances with the bat in hand for India soon after making his debut on Thursday, August 3.
His selection for the national team came on the back of a couple of stupendous seasons he had with the Mumbai Indians (MI) in the IPL as well as Hyderabad in domestic cricket. Picked consistently for the zonal teams as well as India A in the recent past, Tilak has rarely let the selectors down.
With his ability to pick the length of the ball quicker than most others, the elegant southpaw has made a name for himself in the two innings he has played for India in the ongoing T20I series against the West Indies. Very few in Hyderabad's cricket circles, however, are surprised to see his rise to the top.
One of the crowning glories of Tilak's debut was the way he got off the mark. He is amongst the very few who can claim to have scored their first runs in international cricket with a six. And not just his first runs. His second scoring shot was also a six as the Hyderabadi pulled Alzarri Joseph away for another massive hit over deep square leg.
Bagging 39 on debut, the 20-year-old followed it up with an equally impressive 51 in the second T20I at Providence. Needless to say, Hyderabad and its denizens are bouncing up and down in joy thanks to the latest cricketer from the city to represent India. Everyone in Hyderabad's cricket circles, especially those who have seen his growth closely, is joyous seeing him etch the city's name in glory.
Former Hyderabad captain Anirudh Singh, who is now the coach of Himachal Pradesh Under-19s, saw Tilak rise through the ranks. The latter played under Anirudh when he was the coach of the Hyderabad Under-16s, Under-19s, Under-23s, and senior teams over the years.
"I'm not surprised by Tilak's rise to the top at all. He's an extremely disciplined and hard-working boy, who knows his strengths and weaknesses really well. And he knows how to play within those barriers," Anirudh said.
Anirudh, who represented Hyderabad for over 10 years in first-class cricket and also played for the now-defunct Deccan Chargers in the IPL, added:
"His abilities to think calmly and remain composed even during the toughest of times sets him apart. Tilak has terrific leadership qualities too, and I foresee him leading India in the future"
Current Hyderabad opener Abhirath Reddy, who made his first-class debut in the 2022-23 season, has also played alongside Tilak for their club Gemini Friends in the Hyderabad league. Having seen Tilak from close quarters, Reddy knows exactly what makes the former tick.
"The best thing about Tilak is that he quickly adapts to different formats, different pitches, and different bowlers. I think he can be the Indian team’s number four in all formats of the game," Reddy explained.
Tilak's other teammates and friends in Hyderabad also mention how special he is, both as a player and a person. I, for one, first came across him when I was in Hyderabad Under-19s and he was in the Under-16s.
Consistent performances in the Vijay Merchant Trophy had rewarded him with a berth in the Under-19 side, although he was merely 15 at the time.
Tilak's reputation preceded him on a fine sunny day as he walked out to bat in an intra-squad friendly before the upcoming Cooch Behar Trophy and smacked our bowlers, at least four years older than him, all over the Gymkhana. He sent one sailing through the roof that landed in the parking lot. We knew we had a special player in our midst.
Revanth Bairy, who opened the innings with Tilak for Hyderabad Under-19s that season, has a lot of good things to say about the southpaw.
"I believe what sets Tilak apart from the rest is his ability to craft his innings so beautifully around his strengths and deliver for the team in crunch situations. He is a special talent for sure but the amount of hard work he does is unbelievable," Bairy said.
Abhinay Penna, who has played against Tilak in the Hyderabad league, considers the latter's judgment of length extremely well. He also rates Tilak highly as a technical player.
"Tilak read the length of the ball extremely well even when he was a young boy. His judgment was impeccable as was his shot selection. Rarely did he play a false shot or commit himself to deliveries where he could have used his feet better. The position of his head allowed him to decide which balls to play and which to leave," Penna stated.
Tilak Varma's humility endears him to people who don't know him that well
Apart from his abilities with the bat, Tilak is also a humble person who has handled the fame that has come his way extremely well. He is soft-spoken and keeps to himself without being brash or outspoken.
Ranjit Kumar, the strength and conditioning coach of Hyderabad Under-23s, worked with Tilak in the Cricket Academy of Excellence, which was reinvigorated recently by the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA).
He is all praise for Tilak's humility and stated:
"Tilak arrived at the Academy right on the back of his stupendous showing in the Indian Premier League with the Mumbai Indians. However, he did not brag or show off about his newfound fame at all. He was as humble and down-to-earth as ever and gelled well with the other boys."
"Tilak was extremely inquisitive and curious about what we asked him to do. He is extremely fit, and his numbers back it up. Be it in strength, or speed or endurance, his numbers were often otherworldly. However, what stood out was his simple nature, without any standoffishness at all," Ranjit added.
Tilak's simple nature often wins him accolades and endears him to those who do not know him that well. The fact that he is able to carry all this fame upon those young shoulders of his speaks tons about his character, which is surely down to the good upbringing of his parents. His childhood friends also mention how he has not changed at all despite becoming famous across the country over the last couple of years.
Ramesh Kumar, a resident of Lingampalli, a suburb of northwestern Hyderabad where Tilak also resides, remembers how the young cricketer treats everyone the same and does not let his newfound fame affect him.
"I have followed Tilak's game since he was thirteen years old, and it was clear that we had an extremely special player in the making. He is also a very good person, who is humble and listens more than he speaks," Ramesh said.
Despite being a special talent, Tilak has worked extremely hard to improve his game and make it to the national team at such a young age. A lot of the credit goes to his coach Salam Bayash too.
Tilak is a fine young man, who is known to keep his composure in the toughest of times, and that is a quality that will help him in any crisis, both in cricket and in life.
As with everyone in Hyderabad, one can only hope and pray that he goes on to have a successful career for India, making everyone in the city proud of his exploits.