Who Is Tilak Varma? Cricketer Who's Father Couldn't Pay Fees For Coaching Now Makes Debut For India Against West Indies

India's future star Tilak Varma made his debut on Thursday against the West Indies at the Brian Lara Cricket Stadium in the first T20I of the 5-match series. Salam Bayash, Varma's boyhood coach, had thought that if his pupil kept up his form and achieved his goal of playing for India, he would continue to be successful. Prior to the first T20I against the Windies, the southpaw has earned his first T20I cap.

On his Instagram account earlier this year, Ravindra Jadeja shared a snapshot of himself and Tilak Varma with the description, "chilling with the future of India." Jadeja was correct, as evidenced. The 20-year-old cricketer from Hyderabad was called up to the Indian team just after yet another incredible IPL season, during which he made 343 runs in 11 matches. The Hardik Pandya-led T20 team, which will tour the West Indies and play a game in Florida, US, was named with the hard-hitting middle-order.

“I first saw Tilak at Barkas ground, where he was playing tennis ball cricket with his friends. I ask him where he trains. He said ‘I play on this ground only. That is when I called up his father. I requested him to enrol Tilak at the academy as he had the potential,” Bayash had told the Indian Express.

Due to their financial situation, Tilak's father, Namboori Nagaraju, an electrician by trade, was hesitant to allow his son to play cricket.

“His father didn’t agree initially because of their financial constraints. Their house was 2 kilometres from my place, and I said I would take on the responsibility of Tilak’s transport. You don’t have to pick him up and drop him off everyday, and I will also waive off his fees. Then they agreed,” he added.

Namboori Nagaraju says if not for Salam Bayash, Tilak would never have made it this far.

“Coach said trust me and leave him in my hands’; he told us to have full faith in him. ‘Your child is talented, give him moral support’. This is what Bayash sir told us.”