Tilak Varma’s selection for the India ‘A’ squad against New Zealand ‘A’ took the Hyderabadi by surprise. Varma, 19, who shot into limelight after his stint with the Mumbai Indians in IPL-15 where he scored 397, has just four first-class games under his belt. The southpaw will be a part of the Priyank Panchal-led India ‘A’ squad that will play three four-day games at Bangalore and Hubli from September 1.

Century at Bangalore

A couple of days ago before the India ‘A’ squad was picked, Varma led a team against Yashasvi Jaiswal’s side during a four-day National Cricket Academy practice game in Alur, near Bangalore, where he smashed 79 and 109. “I wasn’t expecting [my selection]. I was just focusing on my routine and every match that I was playing. The wicket at Alur was not easy to bat on, it was a turning track. In the second innings, I wanted to score big. I was in the middle till the last wicket and got a hundred,” Varma told mid-day from Bangalore on Thursday.

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