Mumbai Indians don’t see me as a youngster or newcomer, they always help me mature as a player: Tilak Varma

The 16th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 got off to a rocky start for the five-time champions Mumbai Indians. After losing the first two games of the season, the Rohit Sharma-led side retaliated by winning their next three games of the tournament.

Despite an inconsistent season so far, the one consistent factor for Mumbai has been the performance of Indian batter Tilak Varma. The 20-year-old burst onto the scene at the IPL 2022, and he has been in sensational form at the ongoing season of the competition as well. With 214 runs in five IPL games, Varma has been an integral part of Mumbai’s campaign so far.

Recently, he also came forward to reflect on his growth as a player and credited the management of Mumbai Indians for never making him feel like a newcomer.

"The first season (2022), I was a youngster, but since then, I always had the team back me. They don’t see me as a youngster or a newcomer to the team. They always help me mature as a player. So it was pretty easy for me to manage, unlike the first year," Tilak Varma said at the post-match press conference after the win against Sunrisers Hyderabad.

"The team (Mumbai Indians) treat me in a way that I never feel like I'm playing the IPL or any other tournament for the first time. Being amongst the God of Cricket (Sachin Tendulkar), the Indian captain (Rohit Sharma) and everyone, I feel confident and comfortable with them," he added.

Sachin sir told me to have a clear mindset: Varma

Continuing about the same, Tilak Varma also talked about the advice that he receives from Mumbai legend Sachin Tendulkar and skipper Rohit Sharma.

"Sachin sir told me to have a clear mindset, whether you score runs or not. Rohit sir said, put a smile on your face and give your 100 percent into what you are doing, then the rest will all go fine," Varma said.

The 20-year-old was brilliant for the five-time champions in their previous game against Sunrisers Hyderabad. He amassed 37 runs in 17 deliveries and was integral for his side in posting 192 runs on the board in the first innings.