From Being a Ball Boy to Meeting His Idol Suresh Raina | Tilak Varma's Coach Narrates His Inspiring Story
Tilak Varma [Twitter]
In a heartening turn of events, left-handed batter Tilak Varma recently received his maiden national call-up for the West Indies tour. This achievement left his coach Salam Bayash surprised and in tears. The shell-shocked coach was bombarded with calls after his student made it into the Indian squad for the West Indies series.
Varma's journey to this milestone began with an outstanding performance in the IPL 2023 for the Mumbai Indians, where he showcased his exceptional skills, scoring an impressive 397 runs at a striking strike rate of 131. His prowess and consistency caught the attention of many, making him a player to watch out for.
On returning the call, he discovered that his star student had been called up for the Indian squad for the WI T20 series. It was a moment of immense pride for Salam Bayash, who had witnessed the young cricketer's growth and dedication first-hand.
Coach Bayash told the publication
"I was so happy; I can’t tell you. I was in tears to see this kid rejoice. I will give all the credit to his hard work. He has worked day and night for this day. I am sure he will go a long way."
Bayash, Tilak's coach, believed that MI had played a major role in shaping him into a confident and well-rounded player he is today. The southpaw has played 25 matches to date in his IPL career, scoring 740 runs at an impressive average of 38.95.
The coach recalled when Tilak had a dream of meeting his idol Suresh Raina and how he fulfilled it. Bayash challenged his class that if they scored a century in a league competition, then he would reward them with a big gift.
The reward Tilak received was to get a chance to become a ball boy in an IPL match between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Chennai Super Kings. The Hyderabad cricketer got rewarded after he saw his idol and met him, where he touched his feet and took valuable tips from him.
“Raina gave him some batting tips and some fielding tips too. He told him about batting postures and gave him many other tips. After returning home late that night, Tilak did not sleep and started practising those drills in the backyard of his house. His mother called me and said - ‘Sir, he has gone mad.’ I laughed and said let him enjoy," Bayash said.
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