Mumbai Indians’ Tilak Varma celebrates after scoring a century (PTI) Tilak Varma’s maiden IPL century was not all about numbers. It was about clarity, patience and then clean execution under pressure.The Mumbai Indians batsman was named Man of the Match after his unbeaten 101 off 45 balls, reflecting what the innings meant both personally and for the team.“Yes, of course, the first hundred will always be special. And to be honest, it was very important for us. We don’t have much time from here. Every match is important for us,” Tilak said.
Watch
Mahela Jayawardene on bad bowling, combinations and team issues Coming into the game on the back of a lean run, he admitted his primary objective was simply to spend time in the crease.“I haven’t spent much time in the middle in the last five games. So I just thought I want to spend this match in the middle of the wicket. If you see the first 20 balls, I was just going ball by ball. I was just batting.”That cautious start saw him get to 17 off 20 deliveries before a dramatic shift in pace occurred. What followed was a stunning raid in which he smashed 82 runs off his last 23 balls.“And later, once I faced a few balls on goal, I know what I’m capable of and that’s exactly what I did. I’m really grateful for that,” he added.Tilak emphasized that his approach was dictated by the situation of the match rather than a premeditated stroke play.“I just saw the situation, what the team needed. I was steady at that point, kept my head calm and followed my fundamentals. I have all the fantastic shots. When the team needs it, I can use it. But especially when you are batting under pressure, all you need is to support your skills. And I supported that today and it gave me good results.”He also credited his partner Naman Dhir for stabilizing the innings during the tricky phase after the early wickets.“Yes, it was very important. The way Naman played at that moment was very crucial for us, with a positive intention. Credit goes to him as well. And then, as I went on, I’m really proud.”The match itself started with an early strike from Kagiso Rabada who removed three batters in the power over to leave MI in trouble. However, Tilak’s overs lifted them to 199 for five, a more than enough total.The bowlers then sealed a comprehensive 99-run win over Gujarat Titans, with Jasprit Bumrah providing the first breakthrough and Ashwani Kumar leading the charge in the middle with four wickets.Apart from the winning impact, the century marked a defining moment in Tilak Varma’s IPL journey, a knock built on patience, faith and fearless finishing.
