Tilak Varma century ends MI losing run in IPL 2026
Tilak Varma’s maiden IPL century guided Mumbai Indians to a commanding 99-run victory over Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad. The win ended MI’s losing run, with Jasprit Bumrah’s bowling and strong team support playing a key role in the result.
Hyderabad: Tilak Varma’s explosive maiden ton propelled Mumbai Indians to a dominant 99-run win over Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad, bringing an end to their four-match losing run in TATA IPL 2026. Speaking on JioHotstar’s ‘Google Search AI Mode Match Centre Live’ and Star Sports’ ‘Amul Cricket Live’, Mumbai Indians batter Tilak Varma reflected on his match-winning knock and the backing from Hardik Pandya, while JioStar expert Mitchell McClenaghan analysed the impact of Jasprit Bumrah’s crucial role with the ball.
“It was very important for the team and for me. Over the last four or five games, the one thing constantly running through my head was that I hadn’t spent much time in the middle and hadn’t faced many balls, so my aim was to spend some time at the wicket and then adapt according to the team’s situation,” Tilak said.
“I am grateful that it worked out that way. However, we shouldn’t look too far ahead and should take one match at a time. Every game is almost like a knockout for us. We know what we are capable of, having several World Cup winners in the side, experienced players, and the skills we possess. If we execute well, we can be unstoppable. So, it is important to keep our heads down and continue working hard,” he said.
On what MI captain Hardik Pandya said to him in the animated time-out chat, Tilak said: “As everyone knows, Hardik bhai is very energetic. He was charged up and kept saying, ‘You can do it, you will do it,’ to boost me. I just asked him to calm down because I needed to stay focused, and I assured him that I would take care of the rest.”
On the Ahmedabad pitch and his preferred batting position, Tilak said:
“Whenever MI comes to Ahmedabad, they usually give us a black-soil wicket, which is a bit slow in nature. It’s not that our batters cannot adapt, but we know what we can do if there is more bounce. Since it was slow and low, we had to adjust and try to hit straight.”
“There wasn’t much bounce, so playing across the line to deliveries in line with the stumps was risky. I decided to hit straighter, and I read the conditions well; thankfully, I was able to score some runs,” Tilak said.
“Personally, I like batting at number three a lot. However, I am happy to bat wherever the team needs me, because since childhood, I have practised in a way that allows me to play confidently in any position. But if someone asks me, I would always say number three,” the Hyderabadi said.
