Tilak Varma’s Childhood Coach Salam Bayash: Tilak Varma played an innings of his life on Sunday against Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2025 final. The Hyderabadi southpaw delivered an unbeaten, match-winning 69 to steer India from crisis to victory. While fans across the country celebrated, one person back in Hyderabad was not surprised by the young cricketer’s remarkable temperament.
Salam Bayash, a cricket coach who first spotted an 11-year-old Varma at the Legala Cricket Academy in Lingampally on Hyderabad’s outskirts, shared his insights with mid-day.
“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 said.
Interestingly, Bayash himself has overcome significant challenges. Hailing from a middle-class background, he played as a wicketkeeper-batter in local leagues.
“I played some decent cricket for Boston School and then City College Old Boys, but after a few years, when I realised I would not progress, I took to coaching in 2006,” he explained to mid-day.
Establishing an academy was far from easy – Bayash had to run from pillar to post to raise funds. Eventually, his friend Prithvi Reddy helped him start with a batch of 40 boys. Today, the academy trains 350 young cricketers, including Tilak Varma.
Reflecting on Varma’s early days, Bayash recalled, “I started him off with the basics, and after the third month, I made him play a local match. He immediately impressed me with his temperament and technique. He worked hard for hours. He happily skipped many family functions for net sessions. He was disciplined and never missed a net session. Together, we, Guru-shishya (coach-student), would ride across the city for matches. Even today, he greets all the boys and the staff sweetly. Success has not gone to his head.”
Tilak Varma has achieved stardom against the odds. The son of an electrician, his family could not afford professional cricket training. Yet, from a young age, cricket was more than a pastime – it was an obsession. According to his father, Tilak would carry a plastic bat everywhere and even sleep with it beside him at night.
Financial constraints threatened to derail his dream until local coach Salam Bayash noticed the boy playing a tennis-ball game in Barkas. Struck by Tilak’s natural timing and hand-eye coordination, Bayash asked why he wasn’t formally training. “His reply was simple – his family couldn’t afford coaching,” Bayash recounted.
Bayash promised to cover all associated costs — from equipment to meals – and convinced Tilak’s hesitant parents to allow him to train formally.
Tilak initially traveled 10 kilometers to meet Bayash, who then ferried him an additional 40 kilometers on his bike to the training ground in Serilingampally. Recognizing the toll of this daily commute, Bayash even requested the family move closer to the academy.
When Tilak’s family could not provide proper meals, Bayash fed him. When there was no place for the young cricketer to stay, Bayash welcomed him into his own home, sharing space with his family so that Tilak could focus entirely on cricket.
Even setbacks, such as Tilak’s rejection from the U-14 squad, did not deter his coach. “I trained him harder, reminded him he belonged, and kept the dream alive,” Bayash said.
The post Who Is Tilak Varma’s Childhood Coach Salam Bayash? Muslim Cricket Mentor Who Fed, Trained, And Shaped India’s Superstar appeared first on NewsX.
