Mumbai, June 23 -- Indian cricketer Tilak Varma, attending the oath-taking ceremony of his childhood friend Vikram Kakade at the Vidhan Bhavan, expressed pride and happiness over the latter's appointment as a Member of the Legislative Council (MLC) in Mumbai on Tuesday.

Tilak praised his friend for consistently helping people and said he felt proud to be present on the occasion. Speaking about cricket, he said the World Cup remains some distance away and that the team is currently focused on taking one series at a time while continuing to work hard and improve every day.

"We have been friends since childhood, so I am very happy about the announcement of his MLC role today. It feels great--I feel truly proud--which is why I came to meet ...