The world saw a glimpse of Tilak Varma at the Under-19 World Cup in South Africa in 2020. Though he didn’t set the tournament on fire — that was done by teammate Yashasvi Jaiswal — he still caught the eye with his strokeplay.
Two years on, the world saw a lot of him. And wished to see more. On one of cricket’s biggest stages, the 19-year-old left-hander dazzled with his shots and impressed with his temperament. In an IPL season to forget for Mumbai Indians, he proved one bright spot, and one big hope for the future.
The franchise would have congratulated itself on securing his services for Rs. 1.7 crore, against a base price of Rs. 20 lakh, after outbidding Sunrisers Hyderabad, Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings at the auction. He responded by scoring 397 runs, with two fifties, at an average of 36.09 and a strike-rate of 131.02.