From Sleeping With a Plastic Bat to Smashing the Asia Cup: Story Behind Making of Tilak Varma

By 23, Tilak Varma has already achieved what most cricketers take a decade to. First, an ice-nerved knock in the Asia Cup 2025 Final against Pakistan. Then, on April 20, a maiden IPL century for Mumbai Indians that equalled a franchise record. Behind both performances sits a story of financial struggle, a coach who refused to walk away, and a relentless work ethic few in Indian cricket can match.

Where Did Tilak Verma Come From?

Born on November 8, 2002, in Balapur, Hyderabad, Tilak grew up in a modest household. His father worked as an electrician and his mother was a homemaker. According to his father, a young Tilak slept with his plastic bat beside him every night.

How Did a Coach Spot Him Before Anyone Else Did?

Formal cricket training was financially out of reach. That changed when local coach Salam Bayash spotted Tilak in a tennis-ball game in Barkas and covered every cost including equipment, meals, and daily transport, ferrying him 40 kilometres on his bike to the Serilingampally academy each day.

What Did His Training Look Like?

Formal coaching began in 2013. Reportedly, Tilak trained over 12 hours a day, arriving at 6 am and leaving after sunset. By 2014, he was representing Hyderabad at U14 level, eventually progressing through U16, U19, and making his Ranji Trophy debut in 2020.

How Did the IPL Turn Him Into a Household Name?

Mumbai Indians signed Tilak for Rs 1.7 crore at the 2022 IPL mega auction. He scored 397 runs in 14 matches in his debut season, followed by 343 runs in 11 games the next year. Those performances earned him India's T20I debut on the 2023 West Indies tour, where he scored a match-high 51 in just his second game.

What Did He Do When India Needed Him Most?

In the Asia Cup 2025 Final against Pakistan, Tilak anchored India's chase under pressure. Bayash reportedly told him beforehand: "Never leave the match unfinished." He did not. Bayash later told reporters that Tilak had "become a national hero with the innings."

Why Does His IPL Century Change the Conversation?

On April 20, 2026, Tilak smashed an unbeaten 101 off 45 balls for Mumbai Indians against Gujarat Titans, reportedly equalling the record for the fastest IPL century in the franchise's history, accelerating from 19 off 22 to three figures in brutal fashion.

What Is Next for Tilak Varma?

With the T20 World Cup 2026 approaching, Tilak enters the selection conversation as a proven match-winner, not a wildcard. The story that began with a plastic bat in Balapur is only gathering pace.

(With inputs from yMedia)