AHMEDABAD: Tilak Varma, a left-handed batter, arrived at the crease under pressure after a lively start from Mumbai Indians’ end, and by the time the dust settled at the Narendra Modi Stadium, he had delivered his first IPL hundred. The 23-year-old’s calm-yet-aggressive 101 off 45 balls—featuring eight fours and seven maximums—lifted MI to 199/5, a score that ultimately proved far beyond what Gujarat Titans could chase as they were dismissed 99 runs short.
Key takeaways
- Tilak Varma struck his maiden IPL century with a composed innings of 101 off 45 balls.
- His six-hitting and boundary work powered Mumbai Indians to 199/5.
- Gujarat Titans fell short by 99 runs in their chase.
- Before the century, Varma had scored 43 runs from 32 balls across five IPL innings.
- His knock featured eight fours and seven sixes, transforming MI after an initially cautious start.
Pressure at the start, stability at the core
With Titans’ pace spearhead Kagiso Rabada firing from the new ball, the early overs carried bite and pace. Varma began by taking what the ball offered—rotating the strike with quick nudges for singles and twos and occasionally absorbing the pressure with dot balls. Importantly, he built steadiness alongside Naman Dhir, giving Mumbai a platform that kept the innings from tipping too early.
His innings came in two clear phases. In the opening portion, spanning his first 22 deliveries, he managed only 19 runs and did not send the ball over the fence even once. After that, the tempo changed dramatically, as Varma shifted gears and unleashed a rapid sequence of boundaries—fours and sixes flowing in a way that left Gujarat struggling to contain him.
What changed in Varma’s batting, and why it mattered
Varma’s childhood coach, Salam Bayash, explained that the batter has made subtle but meaningful adjustments to his approach. Bayash said he had advised Varma to spend time at the wicket before attempting big shots, while also working to reduce the reverse sweep and more often play the ball straight.
Bayash also noted the conditions and the quality of the opposition attack. He suggested the surface was not easy to bat on and that the Titans’ bowling unit posed a genuine challenge. Still, he was particularly pleased with the way Varma converted the opportunity into a century, adding that the knock contained no reverse sweeps and that nearly all of his big shots either went straight down the ground or were played square of the wicket.
Opposition praise after the decisive knock
Even the Titans’ coaching staff struggled to contain their admiration for what Varma produced. Gujarat batting coach Matthew Hayden singled out the character of the wicket and the control shown by the batter. He said the pitch appeared to have cracks and played “up and down,” and credited Varma for delivering from a situation that required both skill and composure.
Hayden also highlighted the impact of Varma’s innings during the chase context, pointing to how the batter’s performance had come after Mumbai had been a threat as a side known for strong starts. In his view, Gujarat “blinked” at the wrong moment, and once Varma—described as a world-class player—hit his stride, the negative momentum that had been going their way became extremely difficult to reverse.
Hayden used an analogy to underline the rarity of the achievement: he spoke about a fisherman’s observation that when fish are plentiful, many people catch them, but what Varma did was catch when others could not. He further referenced Varma’s breakthrough situation, noting that the game had been in a fragile state when Mumbai were at 46/3 before Varma’s innings steadied and then dominated the contest.
