Tilak Varma (Image credit: BCCI/IPL)
NEW DELHI: A celebration, a jump, a jubilation and a victory gesture towards the Mumbai Indians dugout said it all for Tilak Varma as he led Mumbai Indians to a six-wicket victory over Punjab Kings in the IPL 2026 clash at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala on Thursday.The defeat was Punjab Kings’ fifth in a row and dealt a massive blow to their playoff hopes. Asked to bat first, Prabhsimran Singh (57) stitched a 33-ball 50-run opening stand with Priyansh Arya (27) as PBKS reached 55/1 in the powerplay. He then added another 57 runs with Cooper Connolly to take Punjab past the 100-run mark in the 12th over.Shardul Thakur (4/39) pulled things back for MI with a four-wicket haul but PBKS still managed to score 53 runs in the last three overs to post a competitive 200/8.In reply, Ryan Rickelton came out all guns blazing to power Mumbai Indians to 59 for no loss, even as Rohit Sharma struggled for fluency in 25 runs at the other end.“(Does it become a habit to finish matches?) I always say I love finishing matches, but playing in the World Cup and playing a few internationals for the country helps me (understand) how to finish matches and you get that experience and confidence. So I think I’m constantly improving my game,” Tilak said after the match.“(Did you make adjustments based on the pitch?) To be honest, we didn’t expect the wicket to be like that because the ball was (coming in) a bit slow and low, so it wasn’t easy to hit the shots. In the first half, we saw Punjab struggling in the first 15 overs. After that, Azmatullah (Omarzai) played well. that we would take the game as deep as possible and I believed in myself that I could (finish the game) so I just he held his shape and I believed in myself to finish the game.With 72 needed from the last five overs, PBKS once again handed the ball to Yuzvendra Chahal, but Tilak and Sherfane Rutherford mounted a brilliant counter-attack and smashed 20 runs off the leg-spinner’s over.Even when Azmatullah Omarzai removed Rutherford in the 17th over, Tilak remained calm under pressure and hit Marc Jansen for two sixes and a four in a game-changing 22-run 18th over that tilted the chase decisively in MI’s favour.Needing 15 runs from the final over, Tilak sealed the chase in style with two towering sixes.“(Was it a plan to attack Yuzi?) To be honest, when we had the second strategic timeout, I spoke to the coach that one big end is enough and we will finish the match. Just trust me, I will do it for the team. So I said that and I was just waiting for the big end. Unfortunately, it came out of Yuzi bhai (I’m done, last match),” said Tilak.“(Interview with Will Jacks?) To be honest, Will’s innings really helped finish the game. The way he was playing, I told him: stay in shape and wait for the slower ones because the ball is flying here. If they come quick and you swing blindly, if it just hits the bat, it goes. So wait for the slower one – that’s the only struggling ball we actually hit. a couple of sixes and they were under pressure.” he added.Mumbai Indians, already out of the IPL 2026 play-off race, will next face Kolkata Knight Riders on May 20.
