When 'Idol' Suresh Raina Inspired 'Ballboy' Tilak Varma

image-ll0wkwybTilak scored his maiden half-century in the 2nd T20I against WI (AP Photo)

Tilak Varma's childhood coach Salam Bayash recounted the occasion when Tilak had the chance to meet his cricketing idol Suresh Raina as a ball boy during an IPL match between Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH).

Following his impressive performances for Mumbai Indians (MI) in the IPL, the left-handed batter quickly earned a spot in the Indian Team, proving his worth as a pivotal player in the middle order. In his debut T20I, Varma displayed aggressive batting prowess, amassing 39 runs from 22 deliveries. Building on this, he achieved an impressive first half-century in the second match, scoring 51 off 41 balls, significantly aiding India in a challenging situation.


Ballboy Tilak touched Raina's feet: Childhood coach

"He was mad about (Suresh) Raina. I wanted him to show his class in one-day school leagues. I lured him by saying, if you score a century in this league, I will give you a big gift. And he did score a century. After some days, CSK came to play SRH in an IPL game. I had already spoken to some officials and requested him to let Tilak be a ballboy in that match. I took Tilak to the stadium and took him to a dedicated area, and he was given a jersey and the duty of being a ball boy for the match. Raina was playing in that match. That was a gift from me to him. I had another gift for him. After the match, he met Raina as well. Tilak was just delighted to meet him. He touched his feet and took many tips from him. Raina gave him some batting tips and some fielding tips too," Salam Bayash told TimesofIndia.com.

While India may have faced a challenging start in the ongoing five-match T20I series against the West Indies, trailing 0-2, the spotlight shines on Tilak Varma, a young and promising batsman, who has ignited his international career with a sensational start. Tilak will be seen in action in the third T20I, slated to be held in Guyana on April 8.