Tilak Varma unleashes record carnage to end slump, maiden IPL century powers stunning Mumbai Indians fightback
Tilak Varma brought up his maiden IPL hundred off the final ball of the innings, with the 45-ball knock equalling the fastest century for Mumbai Indians,
Tilak Varma turned a season of frustration into a night of redemption with a blistering maiden IPL century, powering Mumbai Indians to a stunning fightback against Gujarat Titans on Monday in Ahmedabad. Walking in under pressure and short on runs this season, the young left-hander unleashed a fearless late assault that flipped the momentum and lifted MI to 199 for five in 20 overs.
Tilak Varma celebrates after scoring a century (100 runs) during the 2026 IPL match between Gujarat Titans and Mumbai Indians in Ahmedabad (AFP)
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At the strategic time-out after the 14th over, Mumbai captain Hardik Pandya, who was occasionally booed by the crowd at the Narendra Modi Stadium, was seen animatedly speaking to Tilak, who had scratched his way to 19 off 22 balls.
Much of the focus was on Tilak’s form after Mumbai slipped to three down inside the powerplay. In his first five innings this season, he had managed just 43 runs. But everything changed after that break.
The Indian batter, part of the 2026 T20 World Cup-winning squad, unleashed record carnage in the final six overs as he took apart Gujarat’s quicks. Prasidh Krishna conceded 19 runs in an over, while Ashok Sharma went for 26. Mumbai smashed 96 runs in the last 24 balls, with Tilak contributing 82 of them—the most by any batter in that phase in a single IPL innings, surpassing Quinton de Kock’s 80 for LSG against KKR in 2022.
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Both Prasidh and Ashok were erratic with their lengths, often pitching it up despite fields set for the short ball, and Tilak showed no mercy. He brought up his maiden IPL hundred off the final ball of the innings, with the 45-ball knock equalling the fastest century for Mumbai Indians, matching Sanath Jayasuriya. The unbeaten 101 is now his highest IPL score.
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Both Prasidh and Ashok were erratic with their lengths, often pitching it up despite fields set for the short ball, and Tilak showed no mercy. He brought up his maiden IPL hundred off the final ball of the innings, with the 45-ball knock equalling the fastest century for Mumbai Indians, matching Sanath Jayasuriya. The unbeaten 101 is now his highest IPL score.
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Earlier, Kagiso Rabada produced a stellar spell with the new ball, picking up three wickets inside the powerplay, including the dismissal of out-of-form India T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav. After being hit for a six and a boundary, Rabada bounced back with a 152 kmph delivery on a fourth-stump line that jagged back sharply to hit the stumps.
Naman Dhir, promoted to No. 3, scored a half-century to steady the innings, but it was ultimately Tilak’s night as Mumbai surged to 199 for five.
Aratrick Mondal is a senior sports journalist based in New Delhi. In his eight years as a sports writer, Aratrick has worked at leading media organisations, including The Times of India, Times Now, Zee, India TV and currently works at a senior position at Hindustan Times Digital. He writes on cricket, football, pickleball and tennis, among other sports. He has extensively covered India's evolving cricket landscape, the country's new-found love for private leagues such as Indian Pickleball League (IPBL), Ultimate Kho Kho League (UKK), Rugby Premier League (RPL) and several tennis leagues. He has closely covered emerging sports such as pickleball. His coverage of major franchise events lends an atmospheric flavor to his ground reports. His recent story on how SA20 (the domestic cricket league of South Africa) had opened up its grounds to create a carnival-like fan experience garnered major international attention, including appreciation from major cricketers. Tennis holds a special place in his heart. Aratrick has built a strong niche in analytical tennis stories—ranging from Grand Slam narratives and player profiles to tactical breakdowns and ranking trends. His long-form features often decode grand slams, career highs and lows of tennis greats and the upward trajectory of emerging stars. He also closely follows India's tennis landscape, having covered the Davis Cup, Bengaluru Open and Tata Open, among others. His reporting is backed by strong data capabilities, with hands-on experience using tools like Python, Tableau, and Excel to produce visually rich, insight-led stories. This data-first approach enhances accuracy, transparency, and trust. In leadership roles, he has managed editorial shifts, overseen homepage strategy, optimised SEO workflows, and mentored peers to deliver consistent, high-traffic journalism. He recently won the HT DigiStar award for the third quarter of financial year 2025-26. Aratrick is trusted for his balanced reportage, sound sourcing, and ability to translate complex sporting events into engaging narratives that speak to a wide audience. He believes sports is for everyone, not just for the enthusiasts and has a unique ability to bring people together - just like the sumptuous meals you'll often find him cooking on a weekend evening.
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