Suryakumar Yadav's viral tease sparks Tilak Varma and Sreeleela dating rumours, netizens react - Report

A light-hearted moment between Mumbai Indians teammates Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma has reignited dating rumours linking the young Indian cricketer to Telugu actress Sreeleela, but the actress's camp has moved quickly to shut down the speculation with a firm denial.The Tilak Varma–Sreeleela buzz first picked up steam when the actress's mother, Dr Swarnalatha, was reportedly spotted at Mumbai Indians' IPL clash against Punjab Kings in Dharamsala. Fans on social media quickly speculated, and chatter intensified further when claims surfaced that Sreeleela had also attended a cricket match where someone from her team was allegedly seen wearing a jersey with "Tilak" written on it. Adding fuel to the fire, fans also noted alleged social media activity between the two, including claims that they may have unfollowed each other amid the growing rumours.The latest wave of speculation was triggered by a now-viral clip showing Tilak Varma walking through a hotel lobby with his earphones on. Visibly unbothered, he was teased by Suryakumar Yadav, who could be heard saying he was "in love". The moment exploded across Reddit, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter), with fans instantly linking Suryakumar's comment to the ongoing Sreeleela rumours, even though the senior batter did not mention the actress by name.Despite the noise online, Pinkvilla reported, "The rumours surrounding Tilak Varma and Sreeleela are completely baseless and untrue. The two have never even met or spoken to each other. There is absolutely no truth to these speculations, and such fabricated stories should not be circulated without any factual basis."Several Reddit users also urged caution, pointing out the logical leaps being made. One user wrote: "I don't think they are dating." Another added, "With that logic, Pratibha Ranta attended MI vs PBKS match. So she is dating Shreyas Iyer?? Kch bhi! Anyone can come to watch the match. Sonal Chauhan also used to come, and people were linking her with him as well."A third chimed in, "Right bro, Shruti Hassan came to watch CSK match in CSK jersey numerous times, now who's she dating?"Notably, the viral video on Reddit has been deleted now.Sreeleela is currently busy shooting for filmmaker Anurag Basu's upcoming romantic drama opposite Kartik Aaryan, slated for a 2026 release. Tilak, meanwhile, is scaling new heights; the 23-year-old was recently named captain of the India A squad for the upcoming ODI tri-series in Sri Lanka, cementing his status as one of Indian cricket's most exciting young talents.