Though the clash between Mumbai Indians (MI) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) was fueled by Pat Cummins’ scintillating innings, some other players also managed to grab the limelight. One of them was Tilak Verma, a left-handed batsman.
MI have suffered three consecutive defeats in the tournament but Verma has been an exceptional performer for the franchise. The batsman played a short but impressive innings of 22 off 15 balls in his first match against Delhi Capitals, followed by a brilliant 61 off just 33 balls against Rajasthan Royals. Against KKR on Wednesday, Verma took the lead from one end as he remained unbeaten on 38 off 27 balls, hitting 3 fours and 2 sixes.
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Former India coach Ravi Shastri was impressed with Verma’s shot selection and restraint. Speaking on Star Sports Network, he said that the 19-year-old has shown great potential in the matches he has played for MI.
He has shown a lot of potential in both the innings he played for Mumbai Indians. I am impressed by his wide shots – front foot, back foot, sweep. There is a lot of variation in their shot selection,” said Shastri.
“His compartment, body language and mood are too good for a young player. He has batted very confidently. This player has the ability to move forward. Tilak Verma has shown positive intent with his batting and these are good signs for Mumbai Indians. Mumbai’s middle order will be strong once Suryakumar Yadav returns to the playing XI.
Read also | ’35 runs in an over, it’s unreal’: Ravi Shastri all praise for Pat Cummins ‘bizarre’ knock against MI
Verma came into the mega auction with a base price of Rs. 20 lakhs, and several franchises were in the fray to catch him. Sunrisers Hyderabad, Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings got into a bidding war to acquire his services, but in the end, it was MI who managed to acquire him for Rs. 1.7 crores.
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