The former Test cricketer backed this young IPL 2023 performer's India stocks after seeing him blaze it away in the toughest T20 league.
Aakash Chopra believes Tilak Varma will soon be playing in India colours. The former India Test opener reckons the Mumbai Indians (MI) young left-hander has the potential to carve out an international career for himself, showing all the talent and promise about him in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Varma is the latest of the raw Indian talents to inspire such remarks after encouraging displays in the toughest T20 league. The 20-year-old middle-order player has been one of the biggest positives for MI even as they’ve endured a major dip in their fortunes since last season.
Coming on board for IPL 2022, the Hyderabad batter struck 397 runs across 14 innings at a strike rate of 131.02. Tilak Varma has continued on his encouraging rise in the early days of IPL 2023 as well, playing a brilliant knock in the loss against the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), where his superbly compiled 84* off 46 balls allowed his side to compete.
While he has to still develop a robust game, glimpses of quality on display have got the experts and fans ticking about Varma’s future. Among them, Chopra foresees the batter making his India debut in the not-too-distant future.
The ex cricketer turned commentator was speaking in the aftermath of Tilak Varma’s exceptional 41 off 29 balls to help MI’s chase on Tuesday (April 11) in their first win of the IPL 2023 against the Delhi Capitals (DC).
Varma’s knock eased things up for top-scoring captain Rohit Sharma and ultimately propelled them to a six-wicket triumph on the very last ball of the close-fought fixture.
“Ishan Kishan got run out while taking a non-existing run. Suryakumar Yadav dropped a catch and got hit on the head. So Tilak Varma came in at No. 3. How well the kid played. The way he is batting, it’s not very far when you will see him in Indian colours,” Chopra said on his YouTube channel.
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“He is in the Mumbai Indians jersey as of now, the Indian jersey will also be on him because he has a good temperament, plays spin very well, and he is just absolutely brilliant,” he added.
Three innings into the competition, Tilak Varma is MI’s highest run-getter of IPL 2023 with 147 runs at an average of 73.50 while retaining a magnificent strike rate of 158.06.
