Hyderabad: When Tilak Varma’s unbeaten 69 sealed India’s Asia Cup 2025 final victory against Pakistan, the celebrations echoed across the nation. Yet, for his childhood coach Salam Bayash, the innings was not a surprise. He had seen the young left-hander’s discipline and resilience since the age of 11.
Bayash, a cricket coach from Hyderabad, first spotted Tilak at a tennis-ball game in Barkas. Struck by his natural timing, Bayash asked why he was not receiving professional coaching. On learning that the family could not afford it, he promised to take care of all expenses, from meals to equipment. He persuaded Tilak’s parents to let him train and took him under his wing.
From there, the journey was demanding. Tilak would travel 10 kilometers to meet Bayash, who then ferried him another 40 kilometers on his bike to the training ground. When Tilak’s family could not provide meals, Bayash fed him. When there was no place to stay, Bayash opened his home. He pushed Tilak to train harder after early rejections and reminded him he belonged on the big stage.
Bayash himself had once been a wicketkeeper-batter in local leagues before turning to coaching in 2006. Starting with a handful of boys, his Legala Cricket Academy now trains 350 youngsters. Tilak remains its most celebrated product.
“Success has not gone to his head,” Bayash said, recalling how Tilak still greets academy staff warmly. For the coach, Tilak’s rise is proof of how dedication, guidance, and faith in one another can build champions.
