Mumbai's mainstay

In his debut IPL season, Tilak Varma has already become a permanent fixture in the Mumbai Indians squad

- POOJA BIRAIA JAISWAL

Though Mumbai Indians finished with the wooden spoon this IPL, there were a few bright spots, too. The arrival of Tilak Varma was one. The Hyderabad batter scored 397 runs in the season, the second-most for the team (behind Ishan Kishan), and was a mainstay in the line-up. He scored two fifties, with a best of 61 off 33 against Rajasthan Royals. “Expect to see more heroics from the youngster,” Sachin Tendulkar said after the match.

Growing up, choosing cricket as a career was a gamble. Tilak’s father, Namboori Nagaraju, was an electrician, and the family income was neither stable nor sufficient. “[We never had] the luxury to dream outside the traditional career options, because a good job and continuous income were crucial,” says Tilak.

Though his father wanted him to be a doctor, Tilak focused on gully cricket with tennis balls. His younger brother, Tarun, too, dreamt of sports; he has played badminton at the national level. “I will never forget what I had to leave to get what I have now,” says Tilak. “I missed all those important family functions, a close sister’s wedding and quality time with my parents. You need to treasure the moments you have with family.”