'I Just Wanted to Come Out Alive' – Tilak Varma reveals his struggle during 2022 Bangladesh tour

Tilak Varma shared that he sustained a serious muscle injury after the 2022 Indian Premier League (IPL) season. Despite this setback, the young left-handed batsman, instead of taking a break from domestic cricket and letting his body rest, put too much load on it again and further aggravated the injury.

Tilak spoke about a significant highlight during the India A tour to Bangladesh in 2022, when he had to retire hurt in the middle of the game. At that time, he was already signed with the Mumbai Indians, and Akash Ambani intervened, contacting the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to ensure Tilak received proper treatment. The batter admitted that arriving even a few hours later at the hospital could have been life-threatening.

“I was playing an India A game in Bangladesh. After a point my eyes became watery, I was not even able to lift the bat and all my nerves were hard. I retired hurt and came out. Akash Ambani called me right away. He spoke to the BCCI and they helped me a lot. At the hospital, they told me it could have gotten worse if I had come even a few hours later. It was that bad. Even the needle was not going in. I just wanted to come out alive,” Tilak said on ‘Breakfast with Champions.'

Tilak Varma Credits Coach and Early Struggles for Mental Toughness

Tilak also credited his childhood coach for believing in him even before he was selected for the Hyderabad team. The 22-year-old explained that his resilience and mental strength stemmed from the challenges he faced in his early years.

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“My coach told me that he knew I would make it big and become the number one player. He would tell me this even when I had not started playing for Hyderabad yet. Many people also went against me and told things to my coach. But he never listened to anyone and worked a lot on me. There were times when I even fell at people's feet asking for just one opportunity to play. That made me a hard person. People say I do well under pressure. But I have seen such things that make me hard and all this feels like nothing,” he said.

Tilak played a crucial role in the 2025 Asia Cup final, scoring a calm and composed half-century against Pakistan to help India win a low-scoring thriller in Dubai. He is set to return for the Indian team in the upcoming five-match T20I series against Australia, starting Wednesday, October 29.