IPL success story: His electrician father couldn’t pay fees for cricket coaching, then…

The Indian Premier League (IPL) has given a platform for hundreds of talented youngsters to shine despite the odds against them. It has produced numerous inspiring rags-to-riches success stories. One such is Tilak Verma, the rising star of Mumbai Indians. 

Verma comes from humble beginnings. His family could not afford to give him the platform to turn his talent into a successful cricket career. He is now a crorepati who has established himself as a professional cricketer over the course of two IPL seasons. 

Son of an electrician, Verma was already a budding player at age 9. However, his father Namboori Nagaraju did not have money to pay for him to rise from gully cricket in Hyderabad;s Chandrayangutta to the stadium. 

Verma owes it to his then coach Salam Bayash, who recognised the southpaw’s talent, and funded his training. Bayash did not just groom Verma as a cricketer but also took care of his stay and food at times.

"Mere baare mein bhale hi na likho, but coach sir ka zaroor mention karna. (Don’t write about me if you want but definitely do mention my coach)," the 20-year-old batter once told PTI. 

At 19, Verma was bought by 5-time IPL champions MI at 8.5X more than his base price. MI fought off competition from Chennai Super Kings, Rajasthan Royals and Sunrisers Hyderabad to bring Verma to Mumbai for Rs 1.7 crore.