Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: Tilak Varma returned to form with his maiden IPL century as Mumbai Indians ended their four-match losing streak in IPL 2026 with a 99-run win over Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad on Monday.Tilak finished unbeaten on 101 off 45 balls, bringing up his hundred with a boundary off the last ball of the innings. His effort took MI to 199 for five after a difficult start.Spurred by skipper Hardik Pandya’s ‘hard talk’ asking him to get a move-on during the strategic break after he scratched his way to 19 off 22 balls, Tilak changed gears in a flash to amass 82 off the next 23 deliveries and end on an unbeaten 101 off 45 balls.In reply, Gujarat Titans were bowled out for 100 in 15.5 overs. Left-arm seamer Ashwani Kumar picked 4/24 in four overs, leading the bowling effort.Mumbai Indians were under pressure early after Kagiso Rabada took 3/33 in four overs, including three wickets in the powerplay.Naman Dhir scored 45 off 32 balls, but Tilak anchored the innings, hitting seven sixes and eight fours as he recovered from a poor run of scores.In the second innings, Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya and Ashwani Kumar removed GT’s heavyweight top three inside the powerplay, after which the batting line-up did not recover.None of the Gujarat Titans batters made a significant contribution as the team folded quickly.That was a statement win from Mumbai Indians. If they were short on clarity and confidence earlier, this match changed that picture quite a bit. Tilak Varma, after a lean phase, produced his first IPL hundred. He was on 19 off 22 balls before shifting gears and making 82 off the next 23.Before this match, Tilak had scored 43 runs in five innings. On Monday, he hit eight fours and seven sixes.The win, after four straight defeats, took Mumbai Indians to seventh place in the points table, but more importantly, it improved their net run rate significantly (+0.067).Brief scores:Mumbai Indians: 199/5 in 20 overs (Tilak Varma not out 101, Naman Dhir 45; Kagiso Rabada 3/33, Mohammed Siraj 1/25).Gujarat Titans: 100 all out in 15.5 overs (Washington Sundar 26; Ashwani Kumar 4/24, Mitchell Santner 2/16).
