I Was Quite Shocked To Receive A Call From Akash Ambani Sir - Mumbai Indians' New Recruit Tilak Varma

Mumbai Indians (MI) new recruit Tilak Varma from Hyderabad was picked in the IPL 2022 mega auction for INR 1.7 crores and has revealed that it was quite a shocking moment for him to get a call from MI owner Akash Ambani.

He was impressive in Vijay Hazare Trophy 2021-22 as he scored 180 runs in five games and took four wickets. He was on a roll in the last season’s Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy as well, scoring 215 runs in seven games at a strike rate of 147.26.

Asked about his feelings when he received the news of being picked by MI, Varma said: “I was on a video call with my coach when my name was announced for the auction. I can’t express my feelings when Mumbai Indians bid for me.

“I have admired MI since my childhood. I was with my Ranji team when it happened. After hearing this news all my teammates were very happy and started dancing. After the auction, Ambani sir (Akash Ambani) called me. It was quite shocking for me that I got a call from Ambani sir.”

“MI also has this unique spirit of bouncing back from tough situations. Whenever it felt like they would lose a game, the team always found a way to win. I then felt that there was something different about this team and it always motivated me,” he added.

I Don’t Know How I Will React When I Meet Him: Tilak Varma On Meeting Sachin Tendulkar In MI Camp

He also said that it was a dream come true moment for him to get a chance to play with the likes of Rohit Sharma, Kieron Pollard and have guidance from Sachin Tendulkar. Tilak Varma calls himself a huge fan of Sachin Tendulkar and shared his excitement of getting to meet his childhood idol.

“It was a dream come true for me to (get a chance to) play along with some stalwarts of Indian cricket. Rohit Sharma bhai is one of the best in the World. They also have the best finisher in Kiren Pollard. And above all, Sachin sir is there.

“Since childhood, I have been watching him, I don’t know how I will react when I meet him. They have some legends of the game. So for me, it will be a learning process. I am eagerly waiting to play with the team,” Varma said.

Varma, who was part of India’s squad for the 2020 Under-19 Cricket World Cup, where he played six matches and scored 86 runs at an average of 28.66.

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