22-year-old Tilak Varma has become the talk of town after his match-winning and unbeaten 69 in the Asia Cup 2025 final against Pakistan at the Dubai International Stadium. Nevertheless, the youngster had humble beginnings and his coach Salam Bayash incredibly turned his life around to help him become successful at the profession.
The son of an electrician named Namboori Nagaraju, Tilak used to play cricket on a dusty ground in Hyderabad as their financial condition rendered professional training a near-luxury, as reported by Moneycontrol.com. It was then that Bayash spotted Tilak's talent during a casual game. Not only did Bayash waived off all fees, he also took responsibility of the transport. Bayash would ride his bike 40 kilometers every day to pick up Tilak at 5 am to travel to the academy in Lingampalli.
Bayash went on to convince Tilak's family to move closer to the academy in Lingampalli. Tilak's family also struggled with getting him a proper kit and Bayash provided it with one condition. According to him, the southpaw had to earn it, instilling in him the belief that rewards must be earned through discipline performance.
"I was prepared to bat at any position" - Tilak Varma
At the post-game presentation following the final, the Hyderabad-born cricketer revealed that Pakistan were bowling well and credited Dube and Samson for playing their roles to perfection. The Mumbai Indians star elaborated:
"It was pressure. They were bowling well. They were mixing the pace up. I was breathing and trying to stay calm. Fantastic knock from Samson. The way Dube batted under pressure was helpful and important for the country. We have prepared for every position. You should be flexible. I was prepared to bat at any position."
Kuldeep Yadav earned the Player of the tournament for his 17 scalps as Team India sealed their 9th Asia Cup title. Kuldeep was the pick of India's bowlers in the final, bagging figures of 4-0-30-4.
