Tilak Varma

In 2022, when Tilak Varma was only 19, Rohit Sharma proclaimed he would soon be an all-format player for India. Such was his technique, temperament, and shot-making ability.

When Varma was growing up, his father did not have the resources to send him for private coaching. During that time, Salam Bayash, his first coach, took care of his fees and equipment needs and ensured Varma was not lost to cricket.

Varma made his first-class debut for Hyderabad in 2018-19. A year later, he was picked for the 2020 Under-19 World Cup in South Africa. He played all six games in India's run to the final, scoring 86 runs in three innings.

It was his performances in domestic cricket that piqued the interest of the IPL franchises. He was the second-highest run-getter for Hyderabad at the 2021-22 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, with 215 runs in seven innings at a strike rate of 147.26. At the IPL 2022 auction, Mumbai Indians bought him for INR 1.70 crore, and he became a key member of the side straightaway.

The performances in the IPL paved the way for his India selection. His T20I debut came against West Indies at Tarouba in 2023, where his first two scoring shots, off the second and third balls he faced, were sixes. An ODI debut followed soon after but a couple of freak hand injuries in 2024 briefly put his career on hold.

- Tilak Varma has been a mainstay in the Mumbai Indians (MI) batting line-up ever since he was bought for INR 1.70 crore at the 2022 mega auction and played all 14 games that season.

- He has since scored over 340 runs every season, averaged over 40 in IPL 2023 and 2024 and been a mainstay at Nos. 4 and 5 to rescue as well as win matches for MI.

- He got a big hike when he was retained for INR 8 crore for the 2025 and 2026 seasons.