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The cricketing world has been abuzz with news surrounding India's up-and-coming batting marvel Tilak Varma. The young sensation recently expressed his astonishment over an unexpected development: his selection in India's 17-member squad for the prestigious Asia Cup, announced on Monday, August 21.
Tilak's prowess first caught the eye in the Indian Premier League (IPL). He began his journey with the Mumbai Indians in 2022 and hasn't looked back since. In the 2023 IPL season, he garnered a notable 343 runs in a mere 11 matches. This impressive feat followed closely on the heels of his debut season, where he tallied 397 runs. Such remarkable consistency in the IPL was the catalyst for his inclusion in the Indian team set to tour the West Indies.
It was during the India-West Indies T20I series that Tilak truly announced his arrival on the international scene. Even in the face of India's defeat to the West Indies, the dynamic batter managed to amass 173 runs over four innings, a tally that included a commendable half-century and an unbeaten knock of 49.
As a nod to his exceptional talent and performance, he will now be granted the opportunity to make his ODI debut in the upcoming Asia Cup.
In a candid chat shared on BCCI's social media channels, Tilak couldn't hide his elation. He mentioned, "I never dreamed that I would be debuting directly in the Asia Cup and that too in the one-day side. I was always dreaming that I would be debuting for India in ODIs. But it is a big thing for me.
"And I always dreamed of this, like debuting for India in ODIs, that too, in like, a single year, I got my T20I debut and suddenly, in the next month, I'm just getting a call for the Asia Cup. So yeah, it is one of my dreams. And yeah, I'm just preparing for it."
When probed about his readiness to tackle ODI cricket, he exuded confidence. He remarked, "I'm pretty confident about playing one-day cricket because I have played ODI cricket for long as you said, like in the List A cricket. I have done well in List A cricket for my state and the teams also have done well, so I'm pretty confident that I can do well in ODIs, so I'm looking forward to it."
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