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Tilak Varma

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Tilak Varma
Personal information
Full name
Namboori Thakur Tilak Varma
Born (2002-11-08) 8 November 2002 (age 23)
Hyderabad, Telangana, India
Height6 ft (183 cm)
BattingLeft-handed
BowlingRight-arm Off-break
RoleBatting all-rounder
International information
National side
ODI debut (cap 252)15 September 2023 v Bangladesh
Last ODI21 December 2023 v South Africa
ODI shirt no.72
T20I debut (cap 104)3 August 2023 v West Indies
Last T20I6 November 2025 v Australia
T20I shirt no.72
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
2018/19–presentHyderabad
2022–presentMumbai Indians
2025Hampshire
Career statistics
Competition ODI T20I FC LA
Matches 4 36 23 41
Runs scored 68 996 1,562 1,645
Batting average 22.66 47.42 50.38 45.69
100s/50s 0/1 2/4 7/5 5/10
Top score 52 120* 121 156*
Balls bowled 42 45 319 368
Wickets 0 3 8 9
Bowling average – 14.66 24.12 32.66
5 wickets in innings – 0 0 0
10 wickets in match – 0 0 0
Best bowling – 1/1 3/13 4/23
Catches/stumpings 1/– 26/– 10/– 22/–
Medal record
Men's cricket
Representing  India
Asian Games
Gold medal – first place 2022 Hangzhou
ACC Asia Cup
Winner 2023 Pakistan
Winner 2025 UAE
ACC U19 Asia Cup
Winner 2019 Sri Lanka
Source: ESPNcricinfo, 8 November 2025

Namboori Thakur Tilak Varma (Telugu: [t̪ilak vaɾmaː]; born 8 November 2002) is an Indian international cricketer who plays as a left-handed batsman and part-time off spin bowler.[1][2] He represents Hyderabad in domestic cricket and Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League.[3][4]

Early life

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Tilak Varma was born in Kukatpally neighbourhood of Hyderabad, on 8 November 2002 into a Telugu family.[5] His father Namboori Nagaraju Varma hails from Medchal, Telangana and worked as an electrician, whereas his mother Namboori Gayatri Devi hails from Bhimavaram, Andhra Pradesh and is a housewife. He has an elder brother, N Tarun Varma.[6]

Varma developed an early interest in cricket and was spotted playing tennis ball cricket by coach Salam Bayash at the age of 11. Bayash trained him at the Legala Cricket Academy in Lingampally, Hyderabad providing transport for the journey of more than 40 kilometres (25 mi) each way until Varma's family moved closer to the academy.[7][8][9][10]

Varma was educated at Crescent Model English School and Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad before attending Lepakshi Junior College in the city.[11][12]

Domestic career

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Varma made his first-class debut for Hyderabad in the 2018–19 Ranji Trophy on 30 December 2018[13] before making his Twenty20 debut for the side in the 2018–19 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in February 2019.[14] He made his List A debut in September 2019 in the 2019–20 Vijay Hazare Trophy.[15]

In December 2019, he was named in India's squad for the 2020 Under-19 Cricket World Cup.[16] Tilak Varma was selected and played for the Indian cricket team at the 19th Asian Games held in Hangzhou, China in 2023, winning the gold medal in the men's T20 format. He was a key part of the squad, which was captained by Ruturaj Gaikwad and secured the gold medal in the final

In 2024 Tilak Varma was selected as captain to lead India 'A' For ACC Men's T20 Emerging Teams Asia Cup held in Oman. Opening batter Abhishek Sharma also part of that squad and he is the vice captain of that team.

In the 2025–26 Duleep Trophy, Tilak was selected as captain to lead South Zone cricket team.[17]

Indian Premier League

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In February 2022, Varma was bought by the Mumbai Indians in the auction for the 2022 Indian Premier League.[18][19] In the second match of the league, he scored a 33-ball-61 against Rajasthan Royals.[20] In April 2023, he scored 84 runs from 46 balls against Royal Challengers Bangalore in Mumbai's first match of 2023 Indian Premier League.[21] Later in the season he scored 43 from 14 balls in a playoff match against Gujarat Titans.[22]

International career

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In July 2023, Varma was called in to the Indian cricket team for the Twenty20 International (T20I) series during the tour of West Indies.[23] He made his international debut on 3 August in the first match of the series,[24] top-scoring for India with 39 runs from 22 deliveries and taking two catches. In the second match of the series he scored his first international half-century, becoming the second youngest Indian to score a fifty in men's T20I cricket.[25] He ended the series as India's highest run scorer and was in the Indian squad for the three-match T20I tour of Ireland which followed.[26]

Varma made his One Day International (ODI) debut in September 2023 against Bangladesh in the 2023 Asia Cup.[27] In November 2024 he scored his maiden T20I century, making 107 not out from 56 balls against South Africa, becoming the second-youngest player to score a T20I century.[28] He scored an unbeaten 120 from 47 balls in the following match.

He played a significant knock of 69 runs in the final of 2025 Asia Cup which earned him the Player of the Match award, where India defeated Pakistan by 5 wickets.[29][30]

References

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  1. ^ "Tilak Varma". ESPNcricinfo. Archived from the original on 22 April 2023. Retrieved 30 December 2018.
  2. ^ "West Indies vs India: Mumbai Indians rising star Tilak Varma handed international debut in 1st T20I". India Today. 3 August 2023. Retrieved 4 August 2023.
  3. ^ "The uncapped ones: Shahrukh Khan, Umran Malik and more". ESPNcricinfo. Archived from the original on 25 March 2022. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
  4. ^ "Tilak Varma: The rise of a rising star in Indian cricket". Crictoday. 8 November 2025. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  5. ^ Chandrasekhar Penumarthy and Tilak Varma (30 April 2021). HYDERABAD CRICKET'S NEW HOPE TILAK VARMA FULL INTERVIEW | U-19 CRICKET | RAHUL DRAVID | VIHARI. PREMA the Journalist. Event occurs at 4m19s.
  6. ^ "I have given all my money to dad and told him to keep me away from it: Tilak Varma". The Week. Retrieved 8 August 2023.
  7. ^ "Coach revels in Tilak's success". The Times of India. 18 April 2023. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
  8. ^ "The making of Tilak Varma: From tennis-ball cricket to playing for Mumbai Indians & earning India call-up". The Times of India. 11 July 2023. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
  9. ^ Bose, Shuvaditya (8 July 2023). "Tilak Varma | Tracing the Journey Through a Tearful Father and a Joyful Coach". TheQuint. Retrieved 8 August 2023.
  10. ^ "Tilak Varma, The Boy From Balapur: Tracing The Early Steps Of A Future Superstar". Wisden. 26 August 2022. Retrieved 9 April 2025.
  11. ^ "Parents, coach of cricketer Tilak Varma felicitated". The Hans India. 16 February 2022. Retrieved 8 August 2023.
  12. ^ "Tilak wants to make it count in England". The Times of India. 11 June 2019. Retrieved 8 August 2023.
  13. ^ "Elite, Group B, Ranji Trophy at Vizianagaram, Dec 30 2018 - Jan 2 2019". ESPNcricinfo. Archived from the original on 22 April 2023. Retrieved 30 December 2018.
  14. ^ "Group E, Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy at Delhi, Feb 28 2019". ESPNcricinfo. Archived from the original on 22 April 2023. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
  15. ^ "Elite, Group A, Vijay Hazare Trophy at Alur (2), Sep 28 2019". ESPNcricinfo. Archived from the original on 22 April 2023. Retrieved 28 September 2019.
  16. ^ "Four-time champion India announce U19 Cricket World Cup squad". Board of Control for Cricket in India. Archived from the original on 12 January 2020. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
  17. ^ Agarwal, Madhav (8 August 2025). "Duleep Trophy 2025-26: Tilak Varma to lead South Zone, check other full squads". Inside Sport India. Retrieved 8 August 2025.
  18. ^ The Hindu (13 February 2022). "Mumbai Indians signs Tilak Varma". Archived from the original on 17 February 2022. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
  19. ^ "IPL 2022 auction: The list of sold and unsold players". ESPNcricinfo. Archived from the original on 13 February 2022. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
  20. ^ "IPL 2022: MI's Tilak Varma announces himself on the big stage". Sportstar. 2 April 2022. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
  21. ^ "RCB vs MI: Tilak Varma's unbeaten 84 takes Mumbai Indians to 171/7 against Royal Challengers Bangalore". The Times of India. 2 April 2023. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
  22. ^ ""When I Played For India In 1999...": Virender Sehwag's Advice To Mumbai Indians' Star Tilak Varma | Cricket News". NDTV. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
  23. ^ "Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Varma earn maiden call up to India T20I squad". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
  24. ^ "West Indies vs India: Mumbai Indians rising star Tilak Varma handed international debut in 1st T20I". India Today. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
  25. ^ "IND vs WI, India in West Indies 2023, 2nd T20I at Providence, August 06, 2023 - Full Scorecard". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 7 August 2023.
  26. ^ "Jasprit Bumrah returns to lead India for T20Is in Ireland". ESPNcricinfo. 31 July 2023. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
  27. ^ "IND v BAN, Asia Cup 2023: Tilak Varma makes ODI debut, receives maiden cap from Rohit Sharma". India Today. 15 September 2023. Retrieved 15 September 2023.
  28. ^ "Tilak — taking to the slam-bang format like a duck to water". The Hindu. 18 November 2024. Retrieved 18 November 2024.
  29. ^ "Tilak Varma's match-winning innings in Asia Cup final was straight from the MS Dhoni manual of finishing". The Indian Express. 30 September 2025. Archived from the original on 9 October 2025. Retrieved 9 October 2025.
  30. ^ "Tilak Varma wins Player of the Match in Asia Cup 2025 Final". Sportstar. 28 September 2025. Archived from the original on 9 October 2025. Retrieved 9 October 2025.
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