If you ask a teenage Indian cricketer who their favourite player was growing up, the answer will most likely be Sachin Tendulkar.

N Tilak Varma is no different. The 19-year-old, who also happens to be a fan of Rohit Sharma, now has the opportunity to interact with both those legends in the Mumbai Indians camp after the team got him for ₹1.7 cr in the mega auctions ahead of IPL 2022.

“I have watched Sachin sir and Rohit bhai a lot while I was growing up and it has been a dream of mine since childhood to play for MI one day. I feel like it is going to be a great experience. I’m eager to get started as soon as possible,” Varma said in an exclusive chat with mumbaiindians.com.

“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. It always felt like a family and the fans just make it all the better.”

It’s been quite a journey of hard work and dedication for the southpaw.

“I started out by playing tennis ball cricket and used to wait for my turn to bat with the older kids. We had this culture of only wanting to hit sixes, we did not like to take singles. If anyone wanted to play safe, they were demoted to no. 11,” laughed Varma.

“That’s where my coach (Salam Bayash) spotted my talent. He convinced my parents and they were incredibly supportive. My family was not very well-off but luckily my coach had access to a cricket kit from a senior player and he trusted me with it,” he said.

Young Tilak Varma did not disappoint. He scored heavily in the local club matches and excelled as captain of the Hyderabad U14 team.

Tilak Varma soon progressed to the U16 level and continued his rich vein of form with the bat, ending up as the highest run-scorer in India in his age-group. All of this while using the same bat his coach had given him, taping it up when it fell apart, because buying a new bat was not an option.

“When I began playing, I told my parents that I would succeed in the next two years and if I did not, they could then make a decision about my future. I worked incredibly hard, I went for practice at 6 am and would only return home at 6 pm,” Varma remembered.

“My school was not happy that I was solely focused on cricket and at one point, even my parents were worried because I was neglecting studies and only writing exams, just managing to pass. However, the runs started flowing and that gave my parents confidence about my future.”

N Tilak Varma won the BCCI’s Raj Singh Dungarpur award for the highest run-scorer at the U16 level in 2016-17.

It was a watershed moment for the youngster and his family. A second one arrived when he was picked by MI at the mega auction.

“I was on a video call with my coach and when it was confirmed that I was going to MI, I could see tears streaming down his face. My parents also became emotional. It was a reaction for the reward I got for all the struggle we went through and the hard work we put in over the years,” explained Varma.

“Whenever I faced a slump, I picked myself up by thinking about the efforts me, my family and my coach had put in. I was determined to make something of myself, give my 100% whenever I played and repay the faith that my parents and coach had in me.”

N Tilak Varma’s rapid ascent through age-group cricket caught the eye at the national level and he was drafted into the India squad for the U19 World Cup in 2020.

India went unbeaten through the tournament but lost to Bangladesh in the final. It was a blow for the confident young team.

“We always thought we would win, no matter what the situation was. The mood in the dressing room was sad but it never felt like the end of the world. We talked to each other about how we could play for the senior India team and how helping them win the World Cup would be an even bigger thing. That was how we picked ourselves up,” revealed Tilak Varma.

That positive mentality will hold the youngster in good stead when he enters the MI bubble for IPL 2022 and he is itching to get started and speak to the likes of Sachin Tendulkar and Rohit Sharma.

“I want to learn how to pick my shots and how to play in different situations in a T20 game from Sachin sir and Rohit bhai. I like how Rohit bhai deals with high-pressure situations, the way he sets the field and conducts himself. That is one thing I would like to take from him and of course, I would love to have a big partnership with Rohit bhai for MI,” said Varma.

And is there any team he is particularly looking forward to playing against?

“I think that would be CSK. I have admired MS Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja for a long time, so doing well and winning a match for MI against them will give me great confidence,” he stated.

Having only recently transitioned to the senior level, N Tilak Varma will no doubt be facing bigger challenges - high-quality bowling being one. Facing the likes of Jofra Archer and Jasprit Bumrah in the nets can be the best lesson he could hope for.

He is, however, understandably, not keen on batting against Archer.

“I can already feel it is going to be a nightmare to face him. I must make sure to not forget my helmet while batting against him!” he laughed.

It has been a long road to the top level for N Tilak Varma and joining a big team like MI is just the first step in what could be a successful career.

So Paltan, do you feel N Tilak Varma can fulfill his destiny of becoming the next big star?