Tilak Varma was over the moon after smashing his first IPL century to power Mumbai Indians to a dominant 99-run win over Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Monday. His tapping also saw him straighten joint-fastest IPL hundred by an MI batterthus equaling Sanath Jayasuriya’s 2008 record.
Tilak didn’t get off to an ideal start as MI managed just 46 runs in the powerplay and lost three wickets. He initially struggled for fluency, reaching 19 from his first 22 balls. But once he settled in and read the conditions better, he shifted gears dramatically. What followed was a blistering onslaught with Tilak smashing 82 off his next 23 deliveries to swing the game decisively in MI’s favour.
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“In the first 20 deliveries, I took it ball by ball and just focused on getting in. Once I spent some time in the crease and understood the wicket, I pushed my skills and played my natural game,” Tilak said after the match.
‘KEEP CALM, KEEP THINGS SIMPLE’
Tilak eventually remained unbeaten on 101 off 45 balls, hitting eight fours and seven sixes to guide Mumbai Indians to 199 for 5. The left-hander said he assessed the situation, remained composed and focused on his fundamentals under pressure. He was confident in his abilities and used his range of shots wisely to shift gears at the right moment and deliver the winning match.
“I assessed what the team needed at that stage. I stayed calm, kept things simple and stuck to my basics. I have a number of shots, but in pressure situations it’s important to believe in your abilities – and that’s exactly what I did today, which got me the result I wanted. I’m really proud of myself,” added Tilak.
Tilak Varma also shared key partnerships during the innings, adding 52 runs for the fourth wicket with Naman Dhir before stitching 81 runs for the fifth wicket with skipper Hardik Pandya.
In IPL 2026 so far, Tilak has scored 144 runs in six matches at an average of 28.80 and an impressive strike rate of 187.01.
He and Mumbai Indians will look to carry that momentum into their next encounter against Chennai Super Kings on Thursday, April 23 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
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Issued by:
sabyasachi chowdhury
Published on:
21 Apr 2026 0:34 IST
