As a Telugu Boy, He Has Made Our Community Proud: N Chandrababu Naidu Lauds Tilak Verma on Maiden India T20I Call-up

Tilak Varma on Wednesday earned his maiden T20I call-up as the Indian men’s cricket team announced the squad for the upcoming five-match series against West Indies, which will be played in the Caribbean and Florida.

The 20-year-old stylish Hyderabad left-hander had a stellar outing in the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL) with the bat for Mumbai Indians.

On Thursday, N Chandrababu Naidu, who is currently the leader of the opposition in Andra Pradesh, took to social media to laud the efforts of the youngster and make his people proud.

“Congratulations to Tilak Varma, whose impressive performance and hard work have earned him a well-deserved place in the Indian T20I squad. As a Telugu boy, he has made our community proud. I wish him continued success in his cricketing journey, and may he shine brightly," Naidu tweeted.

As for the man himself, Tilak Verma learned from a childhood friend that his mobile phone was switched off because he was playing the Duleep Trophy semifinals in Bengaluru for South Zone against North Zone.

“I was playing in the Duleep Trophy (hence the mobile was switched off). Later my childhood friend called me and said you are selected, and that is when I came to know about it…around 8’o clock in the night," he told PTI.

Along with that inborn ability to concentrate on the job at hand, Tilak Verma said playing for Mumbai Indians in the IPL has helped him prepare for the moment of his life.

“I will always back myself in any situation. I try to be clear in my mindset because Kieron Pollard was the main guy who used to do the job for us in that situation (death overs). He always tells me to be calm and just focus on the next ball. So, I just back myself each time I entered and the results worked," he said.

(With inputs from Agencies)