Suresh Raina is my cricketing idol, says MI newest recruit Tilak Varma

The Mumbai Indians young sensation Tilak Varma has revealed that the former Indian batter Suresh Raina is his cricketing idol.  The left-handed-batter has also revealed that he loves playing cover and straight drives while batting. The 19-year-old, while making his Indian Premier League (IPL) debut, played a short but sweet knock of 22 runs taking just 15 balls against the Delhi Capitals.

Varma, who kept his base price of INR 20 lakh during the IPL 2022 mega auction, was bagged by the five-time champions at a whooping amount of INR 1.7 crore. Varma’s name popped up in the uncapped players category and several franchises went after him. However, MI after a bidding war with Sunrisers Hyderabad, Chennai Super Kings, and Rajasthan Royals successfully managed to bag his services.

Varma made his First-Class debut against Andhra Pradesh in 2018

The 19-year-old Tilak Varma was born on November 8, 2002 in Hyderabad. He is a middle-order batter, who also bowls off-spin occasionally. The left-handed-batter was part of India’s squad for the 2020 Under-19 Cricket World Cup in which he played a total of six games and made 86 runs at an average of 28.66. In a video posted by Mumbai Indians on Twitter, he revealed Suresh Raina as his idol.

Tilak ke batting ki jhalak toh humne dekh li…🔥💥

Now it's time to get to know him a bit better! 💙#OneFamily #DilKholKe #MumbaiIndians MI TV pic.twitter.com/sOkywpWiCd

— Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) March 30, 2022

The talented left-handed batter made his First-Class debut for Hyderabad against Andhra Pradesh in 2018. Varma made his List-A and T20 debut in 2019. He was on a roll in Vijay Hazare Trophy 2021-22 as he scored 180 runs in just five games while scalping four wickets as well. The left-handed-batter was also prolific in last season’s Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy, scoring 215 runs in seven games at a strike rate of 147.26.

MI will now take on the formidable unit of Rajasthan Royals, who crushed their opponents Sunrisers Hyderabad in their opening match. The match will be played at Dr. DY Patil Sports Academy, Mumbai on April 2 (Saturday). Tilak Verma will be keen on playing a big knock soon in the IPL after not being able to convert his good start in the previous game.