Confident Varma asks for a promotion, delivers in style

A classic IPL find, the batter was tracked down by MI scouts, nurtured and now looks the part in T20Is

- Rasesh Mandani

A Ranji debutant at 16, Tilak Varma always had the batting chops. But there was a fear that he would be lost in Hyderabad cricket's constant administrative strife.

End up in the wrong team and it can take a while before the selectors notice you and Hyderabad just seemed to fit the description. Twice Ranji trophy winners, they were relegated to the Plate Group recently. And for a player like Varma, a way out of the quagmire was a necessity.

It wasn't quite clear what that path would be though. The talented left-hander had earned himself a berth in the 2020 India U19 World Cup side but once there, he couldn't make the opportunity count.

Yashasvi Jaiswal attracted all the eyeballs by plundering 400 runs in 6 matches. Varma, on the other hand, managed just 86 runs in the same number of games.

He may have not had the best of tournaments but the Mumbai Indians (MI) scouts had been keeping an eye on him. It was a way for him to claim a place in the limelight. The chance, though, wasn't just handed to him. He had to work for it.