Tilak Varma is one of Team India’s most popular young cricketers in recent years. The youngster receives massive fan attention for his on-pitch prowess, but many cricket lovers don’t know he grappled with serious medical issues at some point in his career.
Tilak Reveals the Name of Medical Condition He Dealt With after Maiden IPL Season
Tilak Varma revealed that he received a diagnosis confirming a rare medical condition he needed to deal with right after his maiden IPL season:
“After the first IPL, I had some problems with my health. I haven’t told this anywhere before. I was diagnosed with Rhabdomyolysis, a condition where muscles break down. At that time, I wanted to be in the Test team and I was also playing domestic,” the cricketer shared during a recent interview.
What is Rhabdomyolysis?
Rhabdomyolysis is a serious condition that triggers quick breakdown of muscle tissue. The disintegration of this tissue triggers a release of harmful substances into the blood and can lead to life-threatening health conditions. Failing to arrest this condition can trigger kidney damage and lead to deteriorating wellbeing.
What Causes Rhabdomyolysis?
Intense workouts
The condition is prevalent in persons that engage in high-intensity workouts. Sportspeople that engage in frequent intense exercise sessions risk dealing with such conditions in the future.
Overheating
Rapid spikes in body temperature can be enough to increase chances of rhabdomyolysis in fitness-conscious individuals. Quick-rising body temperature usually occurs among persons engaging in demanding fitness activity.
Dehydration
Failing to take sufficient fluid during intense exercise can trigger this condition. Proper hydration after extreme exercise sessions can help avert this rare condition, particularly in athletes and fitness enthusiasts.
What are the Symptoms of Rhabdomyolysis?
Muscle weakness
Rapid loss of muscle function is a major symptom linked to this condition. Persons experiencing rhabdomyolysis may notice quick loss of strength across their muscle build at regular intervals.
Muscle aches
Severe aches across the affected muscle region form another rhabdomyolysis symptom. The pain linked to this condition can be severe and trigger immense discomfort, particularly without adequate medical attention.
Unusual colour of urine
Persons dealing with rhabdomyolysis can experience a symptom and fail to spot it immediately. The condition can lead to brown-coloured urine for an extended period without medical attention.
Breathing problems
Long-running breathing difficulty is another common symptom of rhabdomyolysis. Failing to combat the condition can trigger respiratory failure and spiral into other severe health conditions.
Varma Reveals How Stress Triggered Rhabdomyolysis?
Tilak was fresh off a tough IPL campaign and dived straight into competitive international cricket without adequate rest. He believes this period of intense physical activity contributed to the condition’s emergence shortly after:
“I was also playing India A plus there were also camps. The rest days in between, I was doing gym. Because I wanted to be the fittest player in the World Cup, wanted to be the fastest and best fielder. These were in my mind so I didn’t take care of my recovery,” the cricketer said.
“I was pushing myself on rest days” – Varma confesses
The talented Varma shared how lack of proper rest triggered his eventual deteriorating health condition while preparing for international duty:
“Even if you take ice baths and was sleeping as well, but the body did not recover. It needs rest for proper recovery. So I was pushing myself on rest days as well. So my muscles got overstrained and they broke down,” he added.
How Did Varma Feel While Dealing with this Condition?
Varma dealt with nervous discomfort, toughened digits, and other issues while representing India A vs Bangladesh. These symptoms eventually led to his being on the sidelines shortly after for proper recovery:
“What happened here is that my nerves and everything went hard. So, at that time Mumbai Indians were beside me. I was playing in the India A series vs Bangladesh. I played 100 balls and my eyes started watering. I couldn’t lift the bat. Even my fingers weren’t moving. My nerves went tight; everything was hardened. It was like stone,” Varma said.
Varma Reveals How Akash Ambani Helped Him Recover
The Ambani family has a controlling interest in Varma’s current franchise. Their influence played a role in his recovery according to reports, and Varma confirmed speculations during this interview:
“So I retired hurt and I came out. My gloves had to be cut because I couldn’t move my fingers. I got a call from Akash (Ambani) bhai. He talked to BCCI and they helped a lot. I went to the hospital straight away and they said that if it was delayed even a few hours, it would have been pretty dangerous,” he said.
