'There's a lot of variation in his shot selection' - Ravi Shastri hails young batter Tilak Varma

Left-handed batter Tilak Varma grabbed the limelight, when he was purchased for INR 1.7 crore by the five-time champions Mumbai during Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 mega auction in February. The young batter has shown a lot of potential and has grabbed attention from several cricket experts, including former Indian coach Ravi Shastri.

Even though MI lost both of their previous matches, Varma has been a stand out performer them. The left-handed batter played a scintillating knock of 61 off just 33 balls against the Rajasthan Royals. Similarly, he played a short but impresssive knock of 22 runs in just 15 balls during his debut match against the Delhi Capitals.

I am impressed with his wide range of shots: Ravi Shastri on Varma 

Ravi Shastri is impressed with Tila Varma’s batting and has lauded his composure in his debut season. He also predicted a good future for the 19-year-old calling him a confident player. “He has shown a lot of potential in both the innings he has played for Mumbai Indians. I am impressed looking at his wide range of shots- front foot, back foot, sweep. There’s a lot of variation in his shot selection,” Shastri said on Cricket Live show on Star Sports.

“His composure, body language and temperament is very good for a young player. He’s batted very confidently. This player has the potential to go ahead. Tilak Varma has shown positive intent with his batting and these are good signs for Mumbai Indians. Once Suryakumar Yadav is back in the playing eleven, Mumbai’s middle-order will be strong,” Shastri added.

To note, the 19-year-old came into the mega auction with a base price of INR 20 lakhs. Several franchises including Sunrisers Hyderabad, Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings were indulged in a bidding war to bag his services. However, MI managed to secure his services for INR 1.7 crore.

The five-time champions are yet to register a victory in IPL 2022. MI have lost both their matches against Delhi Capitals by four wickets and then against Rajasthan Royals by 23 runs. The Rohit Sharma-led side will take on Kolkata Knight Riders on April 6 (Wednesday) at the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) Stadium in Pune.