From Legala Cricket Academy to Asia Cup Hero: The Rise of Tilak Varma

India all-rounder and Asia Cup champion Tilak Varma thanked his childhood coaches for their support in building and shaping his career, stating that playing at the academy where he trained as a child has given him the confidence to excel.

He mentioned that his coaches’ backing since childhood is the reason why everyone knows his name now, and that’s why he made significant strides in his career as an international cricketer.

Tilak Varma’s unbeaten 69 powered India to Asia Cup glory against Pakistan.(Photos: Special Arrangement)

“Everyone knows my name now, everyone knows who Tilak Varma is. But when nobody knew me, my coaches were with me, backed me big time, and have helped me build and shape my career since I was a child. Ups and downs are a part of the game. I started at Legala Cricket Academy, and whenever I practice here, I gain confidence to do well. I know if I'm on this soil, I'll get confidence.

My coaches, Salam (Bayash) sir and Prithvi sir, are everything to me, and they've done a lot for me. Special thanks to the Hyderabad Cricket Association and the BCCI for giving me this opportunity,” Varma said.

Varma was the knight in shining armour for the Indian team at the recently concluded Asia Cup 2025, where they beat arch-rivals Pakistan by five wickets to clinch the title for the ninth time. The 22-year-old played one of the best knocks of his career, remained unbeaten on 69 off 53 balls, and helped India win the thrilling final encounter.

Asked what he feels about his knock in the summit clash against Pakistan, he added, “This is one of the best innings. I also rate the one I played in Chennai against England highly. But of course, playing in the Asia Cup, that too against Pakistan under pressure, is a great feeling. So I'd rate this as one of my best innings compared to my two hundreds. This is the best feeling I have ever experienced.

"I was calm under pressure and knew I'd win the game. I focused on the game, thinking of my country and taking it one ball at a time. I backed myself, and I did it for my country, so I'm proud of it.”

Calm under pressure, Tilak Varma stood tall when India needed him most

Tilak, who returned to Hyderabad on Monday, received a rousing reception by fans at Shamshabad Airport and later felicitated by Telangana Sports Authority Chairman Shivsena Reddy and Managing Director Soni Bala Devi.

"There was a lot of pressure and nerves in my body. A lot was going on in my mind. In my mind and heart, I thought that whatever I do, I will give my life for the country. If I am under pressure and fail, I am not just bringing myself down, I am bringing down 140 crore people. To do that, I had to stay calm. I have learnt the basics from my childhood, and I have had this habit since I was a kid — to be calm and execute everything in my mind," Tilak told reporters.

In the summit clash, India suffered major blows in the powerplay as their top-order batters- Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, and Suryakumar Yadav- walked back to the dugout, leaving the team in distress. Then, Varma rose to the occasion under immense pressure with an unbeaten 69 and guided India to a five-wicket victory over arch-rivals Pakistan to win the Asia Cup for the ninth time.

The left-hander admitted the situation was tense and said, "In the first three wickets, there was a lot of pressure. After that, it started getting harder. At that time, I was batting and there was a lot of pressure on me. If I had hit another wrong shot, I would have brought my country down. So I told myself, I have to be calm, follow the basics and not give answers in the middle of the match."

Team India in celebration mode after winning the Asia Cup for the 9th time

The 22-year-old batter further revealed that partnerships were the key to India’s comeback. "The wicket was not that easy for batting. As soon as we came back, we won the game by building a partnership. That is the quality of India,” he said, referring to his match-winning stand with Shivam Dube.

Reacting to the high-voltage atmosphere of an India–Pakistan clash, Tilak said, "Pakistan always tries to distract the players. A lot of things happened when I was batting, but I can’t tell you on camera. It happens in India-Pakistan matches — we say a lot of things in the middle of the game. But the real answer is when you win the match. That’s what I had to do, and I did it.” -IANS