For Namboori Thakur Tilak Varma, or N Tilak Varma as he is more widely known, the talent was always apparent.

The young left-hander, who played the 2020 U19 World Cup for India, where they lost in the final to Bangladesh, though never thought an IPL team would bid as hard as they did for him.

N Tilak Varma, who had set a base price of ₹20 lakh for himself at the mega auction, ended up earning more than five times that amount as Mumbai Indians staved off competition to acquire him for ₹1.7 cr.

“I was confident of playing IPL but never expected to get this price tag. It is a dream come true for me to play with a team I always loved. It will give me a perfect opportunity to learn and hone my skills, playing alongside the greats,” N Tilak Varma said in an interview with Press Trust of India.

He certainly has quite a few greats to look up to in the MI squad in captain Rohit Sharma, Kieron Pollard and Jasprit Bumrah.

The 19-year-old batsman, who can bowl some off-spin, attributes his cricketing journey to his coach Salam Bayash, who discovered Tilak Varma as a youngster.

Moreover, coach Bayash also helped him financially. N Tilak Varma's father works as an electrician and his family could not afford all the expenses for his cricketing career.

“It’s fine if you do not write about me but Salam sir should definitely get a mention. He bought me cricket gear and took care of my expenses. It’s all because of him and my family’s support that I reached this stage,” he stated.

The teenager represents Hyderabad in first-class cricket and will be hoping to play a role in the upcoming Ranji Trophy season. He has only played one FC match for Hyderabad thus far.

In limited-overs cricket, N Tilak Varma has mostly played in the top-order and has scored 381 runs in 15 T20s at a healthy strike-rate of 143.77.

MI do have a reputation for developing young talent - think Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah - and provide a clear pathway for the impressive youngster who could be a potential gamechanger with his all-round skills.

What do you think Paltan - can N Tilak Varma be the latest rough diamond moulded into a star by the fine craftsmen at MI?