Team IndiaT20I captain Suryakumar Yadav has hailed his IPL team Mumbai Indians (MI) for producing and elevating a stellar talent such as Tilak Varma. In the Asia Cup 2025 final against Pakistan in Dubai, Tilak Varma played an exceptional 69-run knock off 53 balls and helped India pull off the target of 147. Tilak’s innings became special because it came at a time when the Men in Blue lost three batters at a score of 20 in four overs. Tilak’s match-winning innings received a lot of appreciation.
Days after Tilak’s sensational performance, Suryakumar Yadav highlighted MI’s role in producing extraordinary players for huge stages. “All of us – me, Bumrah, Tilak, Rohit Bhai, and Hardik – before India, we play for the Mumbai Indians in the IPL. Mumbai Indians is
like a gurukul. Mumbai Indians is a gurukul where they make players. Hum waha par aise pressure situation mei batting karte and vo sab jo pressure hota hai hum try karte hai replicate karne ka jab hum India ko khelte hai tab. So when he played for India, he was already prepared. Tilak knew that he had played in such pressure situations before and had played good knocks in such situations before. I have been in such situations before. So I know what needs to be done,” said Suryakumar in a clip shared by Mumbai Indians on X.
Suryakumar Yadav talks about Tilak Varma’s evolution in T20Is
Suryakumar Yadav also applauded Tilak Varma’s growth in T20Is. He reminisced the southpaw’s couple of T20I tons against South Africa in November 2024 and called that moment the biggest turning point in his career. “When we were in South Africa (in November 2024) and he scored two centuries, we got to know that Tilak Varma has arrived. But he showed us the real Tilak Varma in the (Asia Cup) final. He showed us what the real Tilak Varma is,” added the 35-year-old.
Tilak will be expected to carry his form ahead in the upcoming five-match T20I series against Australia down under. Suryakumar Yadav, who struggled to be among the runs in the Asia Cup 2025, will have to lead the side from the front in the upcoming tour.
