Tilak Varma On Rhabdomyolysis After IPL Debut: ‘I Was Taking Ice Baths But…’ | Cricket News

Tilak Varma smashed 94 in the Asia Cup final (PTI)

Star India batter Tilak Varma has said that after his debut Indian Premier League season, he faced some health problems and the diagnosis detected Rhabdomyolysis, a disease in which muscle cells get destroyed, a health issue that could have destroyed the youngster’s career.

Varma revealed that he was diagnosed with rhabdomyolysis, a rare condition from rapid muscle breakdown and thanked Mumbai Indians management and owner Akash Ambani for providing top-notch medical support.

Varma has been a key cricketer for the Mumbai Indians in recent years, earning retention ahead of the 2024 season. His standout performances in the Indian Premier League played a major role in bagging his national team call-up.

“I have not opened up about this to anyone. After my first IPL, I had some health problems. I wanted to be fit. These things haven’t come out. I was diagnosed with something called Rhabdomyolysis, in which muscle breakdowns happen,” Varma said while speaking on Breakfast with Champions. 

“I had in me that I wanted to be in the Test team, was playing domestic cricket, A series, a camp was going on. Even on rest days, I was in the gym. I wanted to be the fittest player in the world and an excellent fielder, so I was not quite focusing on recovery. I was taking ice baths, but I wasn’t giving my body the proper time to recover. I was pushing myself even on rest days,” Varma said.

“So, the muscle was overstrained and it broke down. The nerves became quite hard,” Varma added. 

The star Indian batter then revealed how Ambani dialled up Jay Shah upon finding the severity of the problem.

“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 tearing up. My fingers were not at all moving,” Varma said.