'My only aim is to get house for my parents': 19-year-old MI star recalls coach, parents 'tearing up' during IPL auction

The Mumbai Indians youngster opened up on his childhood, and spoke in detail about the moment when MI picked him in the IPL 2022 mega auction.

‘Where talent meets opportunity’; this has been the motto of the Indian Premier League and indeed, every year, a number of talented youngsters from across different countries emerge in one of the most competitive T20 leagues in the world. With the addition of two new teams to the tournament this year, the number of youngsters has further increased; and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that they have taken the league by storm. We may have only been 10 games into the new season but players like Ayush Badoni, Tilak Varma, and Lalit Sharma have shown glimpses of their talent and skills for their respective franchises.

MI players in action during IPL 2022.(IPL)

Tilak Varma's valiant effort for Mumbai Indians against Rajasthan Royals (61 off 33 balls) was commended by fans and experts alike on Saturday. Former India head coach Ravi Shastri hailed the 19-year-old's temperament, further adding that Varma's performances are a “good omen” for MI – even as the Rohit Sharma-led side eventually fell short in the run-chase.

Varma has represented India in the U19 World Cup in 2020 and produced consistent performances for his state side Hyderabad in the domestic limited-overs tournaments last year. The top-2 most successful franchises in IPL – Mumbai Indians (5 titles) and Chennai Super Kings (4 titles) engaged in a bidding war for his signature, and MI eventually succeeded with the final bid of INR 1.7 crore.

In an interview with Cricbuzz, Varma opened up on how he, his coach and his family reacted when he was picked by Mumbai Indians.

“The day the IPL auction was going on, I was on a video call with my coach. My coach started tearing up when the bids kept going higher. After I was picked, I called up my parents. They too started crying over the call. My mother was struggling to get words out,” Varma said.

The youngster also opened up on his tough upbringing, adding that it was often difficult to make ends meet before the IPL contract.

“Growing up, we've had a lot of financial difficulties. My father with his meagre salary had to look after my cricket expenses as well as my elder brother's studies. In the last few years, with some sponsorship and match fees, I could just about take care of my cricketing expenses,” said Varma.

The 19-year-old says that he wants to buy a house for his parents. “We don't own a house as yet. So with whatever I have earned in this IPL, my only aim is to get a house for my parents. This IPL money gives me the luxury to play freely for the rest of my career."