Rohit Sharma indirectly hints at India call-up for this Mumbai Indians youngster

The 20-year-old continued to impress fans with his batting exploits as he hit another impactful knock in IPL 2023
 
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The youngster who was part of India’s 2020 U19 World Cup squad is widely regarded as one of the finest young talents in India

On Tuesday, April 18, during an IPL 2023 match against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad, Mumbai Indians (MI) batsman Tilak Varma once again showcased his impressive form with a noteworthy knock. Throughout this season, he has consistently scored a minimum of 20 runs in each of his innings, often delivering match-winning performances during the middle overs.

During the SRH match, Tilak came in at No.5 after Suryakumar Yadav was dismissed with Mumbai's innings at 95-3 in 11.3 overs. The team required a change of pace, and Tilak delivered, smashing 37 runs off just 17 deliveries, which included two fours and four sixes. His performance proved crucial in Mumbai Indians reaching a total of 192-5 in their allotted 20 overs.

Tilak smashed two of his sixes off consecutive deliveries from Marco Jansen, with the penultimate ball of the 15th over being a powerful hit over the deep square-leg fence. He skillfully picked the off-cutter and delivered a neat baseball-style swing to the leg-side, resulting in an 82-meter strike. On the following ball, Jansen pitched it full and wide outside off-stump, but Tilak stayed on one knee and swatted it over the bowler’s head for another six. This over generated 21 runs for Mumbai Indians.

Speaking at the post match conference, Rohit Sharma said, "We watched Tilak last season. We all know what he can. I love his approach. He doesn't play the bowler, he plays the ball. We will see him play for a lot of teams."

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Tilak, who was part of India’s 2020 U19 World Cup squad, is considered one of India's finest young talents and has impressive IPL statistics from the last two seasons. As of now, he is ranked seventh in the Orange Cap list, with only top-order batters having scored more runs. In IPL 2023, Tilak has scored 214 runs with a strike rate of 158.51, boasting of impressive numbers.