Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya, left, and Tilak Varma (PTI Photo)
Tilak Varma announced himself in emphatic fashion with his maiden century in the Indian Premier League, an innings that not only propelled Mumbai Indians to a decisive win, but also earned huge praise from
Ravichandran Ashwin
. Chasing momentum after a tough run, Mumbai found their spark through Tilak’s unbeaten 101 off just 45 balls against Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad. While the knock itself stood out, Ashwin highlighted the impact of the skipper
Hardik Pandya
During the partnership, citing his animated conversations in mid-on with Tilak as a key factor in converting the energy of the innings. “Hardik Pandya was talking to him (Tilak Varma) while beating him, he motivated him, he did it as we see in WWF (WWE). Just like Triple H used to do with water. So whatever Hardik Pandya said and did worked for Tilak Varma,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel. Although Hardik was not the primary aggressor, his presence and encouragement played a role in keeping Tilak trapped. From there, the young left-hander took charge, dismantled a quality bowling attack and decisively turned the game in Mumbai’s favour. Ashwin was particularly impressed by the caliber of the innings, which made it among the best he has seen in the IPL. “It’s easily one of the best hundreds of IPL matches I’ve seen. To beat Ashok Sharma, Prasidh Krishna,
Rashid Khan
and
Muhammad Siraj
On this pitch, it was probably one of the best IPL hundreds I have ever seen. The context made the effort even more impressive. This was not a routine century on a batting-friendly pitch, but one that was engineered against a formidable attack featuring proven match-winners like Rashid Khan and Mohammed Siraj.
Tilak’s late acceleration ensured that Mumbai were pushed beyond the competitive score. Ashwin also identified the final transgressions as the turning point that sealed the fate of Gujarat. “The momentum that MI had in the last three matches, it was game over for GT. The moment MI crossed 175 on this pitch, it was game over,” he added. This late surge proved crucial, as Mumbai converted their strong total into a match-winner, leaving Gujarat with too much to chase under pressure. For Mumbai, the victory had additional significance. After a series of setbacks, this was the kind of performance that could reset their campaign. Tilak’s brilliant innings provided the foundation, while Hardik’s presence on the field added another layer to the story. As Ashwin’s remarks indicated, it was the combination of timing, intent and leadership that helped Mumbai rediscover their edge.
