In a chat with presenter Anant Tyagi on Jio Cinema, Mumbai Indians (MI) skipper Rohit Sharma talked about a variety of topics, such as his journey in the Indian Premier League (IPL), his special connection with MI, and the franchise's impressive scouting department.
The 36-year-old opener, who has been with MI since 2011, also heaped praise on youngsters Tilak Varma and Nehal Wadhera, who have proven to be great finds for the five-time IPL champions.
"Honestly, it is going to be the same story, what has happened with [Jasprit] Bumrah, Hardik [Pandya] and all these guys. That is the same story that is going to happen with guys like Tilak Varma and Nehal Wadhera. You watch the next two years. Then people will say, "arey yeh toh superstar team hai" (this is a team full of superstars). Arey bhai hum bana rahe hai idhar baithke unko yaar. Hum jaa rahe hai unko dekhne, hamari team jaa rahi hai dekhne unko aur leke aa rahi hai (We are developing them into superstars over here. We are observing those youngsters, our team is scouting those youngsters and bringing them into the team). You know, these two guys are gonna be huge stars for us. For us and also for India."
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Varma and Wadhera, two aggressive, left-handed middle-order batsmen, have chipped in with crucial runs and have shown immense character in demanding situations.
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Tilak Varma and Nehal Wadhera's stats for MI in IPL 2023
| Player | Innings | Runs | Average | S.R. | 50s | 100s | Best |
| Tilak Varma | 9 | 274 | 45.67 | 158.38 | 1 | 0 | 84* |
| Nehal Wadhera | 8 | 214 | 30.57 | 141.72 | 2 | 0 | 64 |
John Wright, the man behind MI's scouting success
Former New Zealand opener and ex-India coach John Wright, who has been with Mumbai Indians since 2013, also discovered Jasprit Bumrah. In an interview with the Times of India, he talked about how satisfying it was to watch these young talents come into their own:
"It is great when you watch these young players from all over the country and identify them. When you happen to secure relatively young talent and they go on to perform, it is very rewarding for us. We have a great group of ex-players, some of whom I coached and some of whom I played against. Some of them were selectors when I was India coach. There is a lot of knowledge in that group."
Wright also said that Tilak Varma would soon find his way into the Indian national team:
"I have no doubt that he will play for India. Time will take its course. There are other players that you have to compete with for that opportunity. He's going to have to earn that and you don't want to put too much pressure on any young player. His numbers are fantastic, and they are going to put a lot of pressure on the incumbents. It wouldn't be surprising if he plays for India in 2-3 years or even in a few months."
Varma and Wadhera will be seen in action against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the Eliminator on Wednesday.
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