Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], October 23 : Indian batter Tilak Varma spoke on how his bonding with star India batter and Mumbai Indian (MI) teammate Rohit Sharma grew over the years, with the batting legend's daughter, Samaira, being a crucial part of their bonding sessions.
Tilak was speaking on the 'Breakfast with Champions' show with presenter Gaurav Kapur.
The batter revealed that during the 2022 season, his first in the Indian Premier League (IPL), Tilak found himself looking at Rohit in the breakfast area but being "nervous and scared" to talk to him. Eventually, when he got to speak to him, both players got along well, had food together and talked for around one and a half hours.
"It was in 2022 during COVID. We were in the Taj Hotel in Mumbai. I was waiting. Rohit did not come on the first two days. I met everyone, but could not see him, and I was waiting. I was very excited to see him as I had never met him before. He came on the third day. He was with his family. I went to the breakfast area, took some juice and just sat in one corner to see him."
"I wanted to go talk to him, but I was scared. I was nervous, so I did not go to him. I went to a media guy and told him. I did not know that guy was close to Rohit. So he went and told him. Then Rohit called to my room and asked me to meet him. Then I sat with him and spoke at length, and we ordered food. I wasn't listening to half of his talks; I was just looking at him, feeling nervous, happy, and all sorts of mixed emotions. We would have a 1.5-hour talk," he added.
Tilak said that he would go to Rohit during his breakfast time from then on.
"I liked playing with kids so that I would play with Sammy (Rohit's daughter), and that is how our bond (his bond with Rohit and Samaira) was formed", he added.
Since the 2022 season, Tilak has been the spine of MI's middle-order, having made 1,499 runs in 51 innings at an average of 37.47, with a strike rate of 144.41 and eight fifties.
Recently, Tilak had a fine Asia Cup campaign for India, emerging as the team's second-highest and overall fourth-highest run-getter with 213 runs in six innings at an average of 71.00, strike rate of over 131, with a match-winning 69* against arch-rivals Pakistan in the final being his most notable knock.
He will be seen in action during the T20I leg of India's Australia tour from October 29 onwards.