IPL 2023: “He Should Focus On 2 Things”- Virender Sehwag Shares Career-Changing Advice to MI’s Star Tilak Varma

IPL 2023: The Indian Premier League is an incredible platform for youngsters to compete with the best and showcase their skillset. This season as well, a number of young players have shown the world how brilliant they can be when given the chance. Rinku Singh, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Jitesh Sharma, and many more uncapped players have risen to the ranks. One such name, who impressed everyone with his ability, is MI’s star, Tilak Varma.

The Southpaw made his IPL debut in 2022 and caught the attention of everyone. In his debut season, he scored 397 runs in 14 innings at an average of 36.09 and a strike rate of 131.02 with two half-centuries. But he improved his numbers in the ongoing season. Tilak has scored 343 runs in just 11 innings at a brilliant average of 42.88 and an impressive strike rate of 164.11, with 23 sixes. Many former cricketers have lauded the 21-year-old and said that he is a future prospect for the Indian team.

IPL 2023: “Tilak Varma should focus on 2 things- Fitness and skills”- Virender Sehwag

The left-hander played a blistering cameo of 43 off 14, with five fours and three sixes at a strike rate of 307.14 when MI were chasing a massive target of 234 runs. However, his inning was cut short by Rashid Khan, which put pressure on Mumbai. Former Indian opener Virender Sehwag also lauded the 21-year-old and shared important advice to improve his game. In an interview on Cricbuzz, Sehwag said,

“He should focus on 2 things; improve his fitness, and identify the skills that he can work on, as well as the mindset. When you’re not playing cricket, you have to focus on your fitness and your skills. It reminds me of myself, when I played for India for the first time in 1999, I was dismissed by Shoaib Akhtar. So, Dada (Sourav Ganguly) told me one thing… go back, practice against fast bowling, so you come better prepared.”

The former opener also gave the reference of Suryakumar Yadav and said that he also practices his shots if he is not playing cricket. MI ended the season in third place after losing to GT by 62 runs in Qualifier 2. Chasing the target of 234 runs, they finished at 171 in 18.2 overs. The final of the tournament will take place on Monday at the Narendra Modi Stadium.