Mumbai: Tilak Varma, India’s youthful batting star who won the Asia Cup 2025 final against Pakistan with a match-winning effort, has made a surprising confession about his health problems after his first IPL season in 2022.
The 22-year-old cricketer talked about his recent diagnosis of Rhabdomyolysis on the most recent episode of Breakfast with Champions. This is a rare and possibly deadly ailment in which muscle fibers break down and release dangerous proteins into the bloodstream.
“I haven’t told anyone about this yet. I encountered some health issues after my initial IPL. I wanted to be in shape. These things have never been said before. Tilak said, “I was diagnosed with something called Rhabdomyolysis, which means that my muscles were breaking down.”
The left-handed batter made an amazing 69 runs off 53 balls in the Asia Cup 2025 final to help India chase down 147 after being 20/3. He added that his concern with fitness after the IPL may have caused the problem.
“I Wanted to Be the Fittest Player in the World”
Tilak remarked that he was always pushing his body to the maximum, even on days off, and that he didn’t give it enough time to heal.
“I wanted to be on the Test team. He remarked, “I was playing domestic cricket, the A series, and there was a camp going on.”
“I went to the gym even on my days off. I wasn’t really thinking about becoming better since I wanted to be the best player in the world and a great fielder. I was taking ice baths, but I wasn’t letting my body heal properly. So, the muscle was too stressed and it broke down. The nerves got quite stiff.
“My Fingers Stopped Moving; It Felt Like Stone”
Tilak went on to talk about the scary day when his body started to shut down while he was playing for India A in Bangladesh.
“The Mumbai Indians were there with me, and I was playing the A series in Bangladesh.” I pushed myself for a hundred, and my eyes started to cry up. My fingers weren’t moving at all. It felt like everything was made of stone. He said, “I had to retire hurt, and my gloves had to be cut off because my fingers weren’t moving.”
He also said that Akash Ambani, the owner of the Mumbai Indians, and Jay Shah, the secretary of the BCCI, stepped in right away to make sure he got medical help right away.
“I got a call from Akash Ambani right away. He talked to the BCCI, which was really helpful. Thank you, Jay Shah. They took me right to the hospital. The physicians said that if I had waited even a few hours, things may have gone very wrong. The needle for the IV line wouldn’t go in either; it kept breaking. I was terribly sick at the hospital. “My mother was with me,” Tilak remarked with tears in his eyes.
A Hero’s Return
Tilak made a full recovery after the near-fatal event and has since become one of India’s most talented young people. During the Asia Cup 2025 final, he showed off his calm demeanor and brave batting as he led India to a stunning win against Pakistan.
Varma’s story isn’t only about skill; it’s also about resilience, discipline, and mental power. It shows that sportsmen have to deal with a lot of problems that we don’t see when they’re playing.