"Even when he slept, he used to keep the bat" - Tilak Varma's father recalls the cricketer's early days

Tilak Varma’s father Namboori Nagaraju believes the southpaw was meant to play cricket professionally and the signs of the same were seen from his childhood days.

He recently spoke about how fond Tilak was of his plastic bat and how it was almost impossible to keep him away from his bat. That probably would have given his parents a hint of what their son was going to pursue once he grew up.

Here's what Tilak Varma's father was quoted as saying by Star Sports:

“From the time he was a child, he always had a bat in his hand, all the time he used to play with his cricket bat. We bought him that plastic bat which you get from toy stores, and even when he slept, he used to keep the bat and ball by his side.”

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Tilak Varma's father credits coach for his son's success

Tilak's father heaped praise on coach Salam Bayash for helping the youngster realize his dream of playing for India. Bayash didn't only coach Tilak but also helped him in every possible way to ensure he got the best possible facilities and platform to showcase his talent.

On this, Nagaraju stated:

“Salam sir used to encourage him a lot, whether it was his lunch or his cricket equipment, he said that he would give it to him. He used to tell me that if there was any issue, he is always there, we have to get him (Tilak) to the next level.

"I used to tell Salam Sir that he should not fall short in studies, he used to assure us that everything would be fine and money would not be an issue. He used to encourage him a lot, he was like a godfather to him.”

With a half-century in just his second innings, Tilak has already shown signs of promise as India's future star.