By Ishwarnath Jha
New Delhi, Feb 24 (IANS): Picked for Rs 1.7 crore by Mumbai Indians in the IPL Mega Auction, all-rounder Tilak Verma is in the news for all the good reasons. The 19-year-old Hyderabad wants to use the IPL 2022 as a stepping stone to realising his dream of playing Test cricket for India. Verma added that also he wants to win the World Cup for India.
"Like every cricketer, I want to wear the white jersey, and to win the World Cup. If I get an opportunity to play for MI, I will try my best to do well for the team, and the rest will happen automatically," the left-hand batter told IANS.
"For me, my team is my priority. So if I am in the team and I get the opportunity to play for MI, my first priority will be to win as many matches as I can. If I will be able to do this, it will be a great achievement for me," said Verma, who made his First-Class debut against Andhra Pradesh in 2018.
Coming from a humble background to becoming a sensation overnight, Varma's story is truly inspiring for any young cricketer. As a young cricketer, Verma had to face many hardships before reaching a stage when he had some of the wealthiest people of the country fighting to bag his services for their respective IPL franchise.
Verma, whose father is an electrician in Hyderabad, unfortunately, couldn't afford to continue his cricket coaching. Verma's coach, Salam Bayash took care of all the expenses, provided him proper training and even gave him all the equipment to continue his cricket.
The 19-year-old Verma's name popped up in the uncapped players' category and MI had to beat the likes of Sunrisers Hyderabad, Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals in fierce bidding to bag his services for INR 1.7 crore.
Varma had earned 8.5 times more money than his base price as his bidding started at INR 20 lakh, since then he has been the subject of much discussion in the cricketing world.
"If I get an opportunity to play in the match, I will give my 120 percent. I play my game according to the situation of the match. If I am not able to score runs, then I will try my best in bowling. I can bowl and I can bat as well. And I think this is the biggest advantage for any player who can bowl and bat both. Being an all-rounder any cricketer can be a valuable player for the team," he said.
Asked about his feelings when he received the news of being picked by MI, Verma, who usually plays in the middle-order and can chip in with occasional off-spin, said it was surreal.
"I was on a video call with my coach when my name was announced for the auction. I can't express my feelings when Mumbai Indians bid for me. I have admired MI since my childhood. I was with my Ranji team when it happened. After hearing this news all my teammates were very happy and started dancing. After the auction, Ambani sir (Akash Ambani) called me. It was quite shocking for me that I got a call from Ambani sir."
Playing for Hyderabad, Varma was impressive in Vijay Hazare Trophy 2021-22 as he scored 180 runs in five games and took four wickets. He was on a roll in the last season's Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy as well, scoring 215 runs in seven games at a strike rate of 147.26. Verma, like many, is a big fan of Sachin Tendulkar who is in the role of mentor in the MI.
Verma, who was part of India's squad for the 2020 Under-19 Cricket World Cup, where he played six matches and scored 86 runs at an average of 28.66, said he is eagerly waiting to join the Mumbai Indians training camp and meet legendary Sachin Tendulkar.
"It was a dream come true for me to (get a chance to) play along with some stalwarts of Indian cricket. Rohit Sharma bhai is one of the best in the World. They also have the best finisher in Kiren Pollard. And above all, Sachin sir is there. Since childhood, I have been watching him, I don't know how I will react when I meet him. They have some legends of the game. So for me, it will be a learning process. I am eagerly waiting to play with the team," Verma said.
"MI also has this unique spirit of bouncing back from tough situations. Whenever it felt like they would lose a game, the team always found a way to win. I then felt that there was something different about this team and it always motivated me," he signed off.