The entire country marvelled at Tilak Varma’s temperament on Sunday, when the Hyderabadi batter held his own, scoring an unbeaten match-winning 69 to take India from crisis to victory in the Asia Cup final against arch-rivals Pakistan. 

Around 1500 miles away, however, back home in Hyderabad, one man expected just this from the left-hander. Salam Bayash, the cricket coach, who spotted a 11-year-old Varma back in the day at the Legala Cricket Academy in Lingampally on the outskirts of Hyderabad, tells mid-day how Varma’s staunch temperament stood out even back then. “Tilak had called me before the match and I told him to just stay [at the wicket] till the end. I’m glad he did and has emerged as a superhero. His temperament comes as no surprise to me because  even as a youngster, during practice sessions, he would bat for long hours,” Bayash, 38, told mid-day.