Former Royal Challengers Bangalore Director of Cricket Mike Hesson revealed a fascinating story about the one who got away during an IPL auction – aggressive left-handed batsman Tilak Varma. Hesson revealed that Varma was a top target for the Royal Challengers, but fate had other plans as they opted for right-hander Rajat Patidar.
Tilak Varma has donned the blue jersey of Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League since 2022. He was bought by the five-time champions in February 2022 during the mega auction of the expanded edition of the IPL, in which the number of teams increased from 8 to 10. The Ambani-backed franchise bought it for Rs 1.5 crore for Rs 1.7 crore and they had to engage in a tug-of-war with CSK, Rajasthan Royals and Sunrisers Hyderabad.
His meteoric rise in the Indian cricket circuit has been sensational. With his exquisite shot selection, unwavering aggression, intent and fearless approach against any bowler, Varma has carved a niche for himself. But this is mainly due to his consistent performances in the IPL.
Tilak Varma scored 397 in his debut season playing all 14 league matches and last year he amassed 343 runs in 11 matches at a strike rate of 164. That paved the way for his first call-up to the Indian T20I team during the tour of the West Indies in August 2023.
Barely a month later, Varma received another joy with his ODI call-up, making his debut in the 2023 Asia Cup match against Bangladesh in Colombo. However, it was during India’s all-format tour of South Africa that Varma really made his mark. In the third ODI in Paarl, the Hyderabad-born cricketer showed his class by scoring a brave half-century with 52 runs to his name.
Varma’s journey epitomizes the quintessential rags to riches story. Highly talented and hungry for success, he is undoubtedly one of the brightest prospects in Indian cricket. As he continues to evolve and flourish, Varma is poised to be a stalwart in the future of Indian cricket and Mike Hesson, who parted ways with RCB, stated that the biggest mistake they made was not aggressively betting on Tilak Varma.
“I wish we had tried a little harder” – Mike Hesson on RCB missing out on Tilak Varma
When the interviewer asked Mike Hesson who is the player they regret not acquiring in an IPL auction, the Kiwi replied Tilak Varma as RCB were looking for a good left-hander but opted for Rajat Patidar, something they regretted. .
Mike Hesson: ‘Tilak Varma was on our radar’
About the players he lost during the auction pic.twitter.com/m85j8ByMYW
– r/RCB (@rcb_reddit) February 18, 2024
“I think Tilak Varma was the one, he was on our scouting list. But at that time we opted for Patidar, you know we needed to make a decision about who we want in the future. It would have been nice to have a lefty at the top spot. There was a lot of talk in the country that he was suspect against the short ball. So, he is someone who, you know, I wish we had tried a little harder for in hindsight, but he has shown that he is a high-quality player,” Mike Hesson told Cricket.com.
