Asia Cup 2025 champion Tilak Varma, who made a start from a Hyderabad dust bowl to becoming an icon of Team India, is a tale of genius, grit, and the sheer love and guidance of a passionate mentor. Well before he was basking in the glory on the world stage, Tilak was caught in financial crises that seemed to delay his cricketing aspirations.
Tilak Varma’s childhood
Born to Namboori Nagaraju, an electrician, and Gayatri Devi, a housewife, Tilak’s family could hardly support proper training in cricket. He used to play tennis-ball cricket on neighbourhood grounds as a boy, fantasising about donning the national jersey. It was in this period that coach Salam Bayash noticed his crude talent. Realising the potential in Tilak, Bayash volunteered to train him for free and even assumed responsibility for his daily trip a 40 km bike ride there and back every day for more than a year.
Salam Bayash’s guidance
Bayash’s guidance extended beyond training. He urged Tilak’s family to relocate nearer the Legala Cricket Academy in Lingampally to facilitate travel. When the family had difficulty affording adequate cricket equipment, Bayash provided the gear but only on condition that Tilak achieve certain performance benchmarks. This developed into a discipline and work ethic that would shape his entire career.
Tilak’s commitment paid dividends. He debuted domestically with Hyderabad in the 2018–19 season and immediately emerged as one of the team’s performers. He was rewarded for his exceptional talent with a position in the Mumbai Indians in the 2022 IPL, where he took everyone by surprise, including spectators and pundits. Tilak debuted internationally on 3 August 2023 against the West Indies and scored 39 off 22 deliveries to be the top scorer while also taking two important catches. He quickly made his first international half-century, being the second youngest Indian to do so in men’s T20Is.
Determination leads to success
In the background of his success, coach Salam Bayash’s tale of how he used to cycle 80 km every day to back a young boy’s dream continues to be an example to mentorship, sacrifice, and trust in sheer talent.
Tilak Varma’s rags-to-riches story from the streets of Hyderabad to Asia Cup champion is an inspiration to budding cricketers, showcasing that hard work, tutelage guidance, and commitment can lead to dreams coming true.
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Sofia Babu Chacko is a journalist with over five years of experience covering Indian politics, crime, human rights, gender issues, and stories about marginalized communities. She believes that every voice matters, and journalism has a vital role to play in amplifying those voices. Sofia is committed to creating impact and shedding light on stories that truly matter. Beyond her work in the newsroom, she is also a music enthusiast who enjoys singing.
