Tilak Varma reveals how he cheated death and talks about his battle with deadly disease ‘rhabdomyolysis’
Indian star Tilak Varma has made a shocking revelation as he opened up about a serious health issue that almost cost him his life.
The much-loved batsman’s cricket journey took a frightening turn in 2022 after he was diagnosed with rhabdomyolysis, a rare condition caused by severe muscle breakdown.
I didn’t tell anyone about it – Tilak Varma
The strong desire to become the fittest player in the world almost led Tilak Varma to a catastrophic situation. In a recent interview, the left-handed batsman opened up about the entire episode, saying he was diagnosed with the rare condition after pushing his body beyond the limits, even on off days.
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Recalling the episode, Tilak Varma said that he was so focused on his fitness that he used to go to the gym even on his off days. Without adequate rest for the body, he kept heading towards danger until his condition worsened while batting for India A against Bangladesh A. Tilak said his fingers were frozen and his gloves had to be cut open before he was admitted to the hospital.
“I didn’t tell anyone about it. After my first IPL, I had some health issues. I wanted to be fit. Those things didn’t come out. I was diagnosed with something called rhabdomyolysis, in which muscle breakdowns occur. I had it in me that I wanted to be in the Test team, I was playing domestic cricket, a series, a camp was going on,” Tilak said about the latest episode of Breakfast of Champions.
“Even on rest days I was in the gym. I wanted to be the fittest player in the world and a great defender, so I wasn’t really focusing on recovery. I was taking ice baths, but I wasn’t giving my body time to recover. I was pushing myself even on rest days. So the muscle was overworked and it broke. The nerves became quite tough,” he added.
Mumbai Indians were there with me: Tilak Varma
Speaking further, Tilak Varma spoke about the role of Mumbai Indians in his recovery. He said franchise owner Akash Ambani immediately called former BCCI secretary Jay Shah after seeing the seriousness of the problem. The situation was such that doctors even had difficulty inserting an IV. Tilak also revealed that timely medical attention saved his life, admitting that a delay of a few hours could have proved fatal.
“Mumbai Indians were there with me and I was playing the A series in Bangladesh. I pushed to a hundred and my eyes started watering. My fingers weren’t moving at all. Everything became so hard, it was like a stone. I had to retire injured, I had to cut off gloves because the fingers weren’t moving,” Tilak said.
“Immediately, I received a call from Akash Ambani. He spoke to the BCCI, which was very helpful. Thanks to Jay Shah, sir. I was immediately admitted to the hospital. The doctors told me that if I had delayed even a few hours, the consequences could have been catastrophic. Even the IV line needle was not going in. The needle was breaking. My condition was very bad in the hospital. My mother was with me,” he added.
Tilak has fully recovered from the rare disease and is now one of the best hitters in the country. He recently played for India in the Asia Cup. In the final, he scored a match-winning fifty against Pakistan and was voted Player of the Match. He will soon be seen in action when India take on Australia in the five-match T20I series.
