As the T20 World Cup draws near, discussions about the playing XI of India are gaining momentum. With Sanju Samson apparently ruled out, Ishan Kishan is set to open in the knockout phase, and Tilak Varma has made a remarkable comeback from injury, reassuring everyone with his performances. Suryakumar Yadav has also been in top form, scoring a number of half-centuries in the last few matches.

While the final playing XI will be determined by the team management, here is a brief look at the early life and educational backgrounds of these important players.

Tilak Varma was born on 8 November 2002 in Kukatpally, Hyderabad. His father, Namboori Nagaraju Varma, is an electrician, and his mother, Namboori Gayatri Devi, is a homemaker. He has an elder brother named N. Tarun Varma.

He finished his schooling at Crescent Model English School and later at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan in Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad. Tilak further studied at Lepakshi Junior College in the city. According to reports, he is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) degree from Andhra University.

Tilak Varma was exposed to cricket from a very young age. When he was only 11, coach Salam Bayash spotted him playing tennis-ball cricket and identified his talent. He further trained at the Legala Cricket Academy in Lingampally, Hyderabad, which was a very important part of his life and helped him form his cricketing career.

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Ishan Pranav Kumar Pandey Kishan was born on 18 July 1998 in Patna, Bihar. Ishan’s father, Pranav Kumar Pandey, is a builder in Patna. Ishan has completed his initial schooling at Delhi Public School, Patna, and further pursued his higher education at Commerce College, Patna.

Although Ishan is a Bihari, some administrative problems between the Bihar Cricket Association and the BCCI made him shift to represent the adjacent state of Jharkhand in domestic matches.

Ishan has always admired MS Dhoni as his role model in cricket. In an interview with the BCCI, Ishan revealed that since he belongs to the same zone and represents Jharkhand, he has been inspired by Dhoni and hopes to be a part of many winning performances for his team.

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Suryakumar Yadav was born on 14 September 1990 in Mumbai, Maharashtra, to Ashok Kumar Yadav and Swapna Yadav. His father is a retired engineer who previously worked with the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC). Suryakumar completed his schooling from the Atomic Energy Central School in Mumbai and later pursued a Bachelor of Commerce (B.Com.) degree from Pillai College, Mumbai.

He was exposed to cricket from a very young age under the mentorship of his paternal uncle, Vinod Kumar Yadav, in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. At the age of 10, he joined a cricket camp at the BARC colony in Mumbai, where he trained under Ashok Aswalkar. He later developed his skills at the Elf Vengsarkar Academy, which had a significant influence on his development as a professional cricketer.