Tilak Varma Issues Statement On Heated Confrontation With Hardik Pandya

Tilak Varma and Hardik Pandya [Source: AFP, screengrab]

Tilak Varma soared back into form this IPL 2026 season with a majestic century against Gujarat Titans. 

Batting at number five for the Mumbai Indians at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium, the prolific left-hander plundered an unbeaten 101 off just 45 balls with eight boundaries and seven towering sixes.

The innings not only marked Varma’s first fifty-plus score of the season but also the first century of his IPL career. 

It is worth noting that for a major part of his match-winning knock, the youngster received significant encouragement from his captain Hardik Pandya from the other end.

After the match, the hard-hitting middle-order batter spoke about his innings and also reflected on his on-field interaction with his skipper.

Tilak Varma recalls Hardik Pandya’s energy vs GT

Tilak Varma started off his innings on a sluggish note, reaching 19* off 22 balls at one stage. At the time, the cricketer even got quite an earful from his captain Hardik Pandya.

Also Read- Hardik Pandya Scripts Huge Milestone For MI In IPL 2026 Match Vs GT

Hardik Pandya’s words of encouragement seemed to have sparked a remarkable turnaround, as Varma shifted gears to bludgeon 82* off his next 23 deliveries to slap a 45-ball unbeaten ton. After the match, the 23-year-old recollected his on-field conversations with the skipper.

Sekar 𝕏

@itzSekar

When Tilak Varma struggling at 19 off 22 balls, a strict word from Hardik Pandya changed everything—he smashed 82 runs off the next 23 balls and scored his first IPL century 🔥 #GTvsMI #MIvsGT

Apr 20, 2026, 9:26 PM

While speaking on IPLT20.COM, Tilak Varma said “You know how Hardik bhai is always into that electrifying mode. I am more into a calm and relaxed side. He was just pumping me up like ‘you will do it you will win it’. I said that ok be easy, I’ll do the things and I’ll make it for the team.”

Varma shatters huge records for Mumbai Indians

Tilak Varma clubbed 101* off just 45 balls to register his maiden IPL century. The cricketer raced to the landmark figure with a six and a boundary off the final two balls of the Mumbai Indians innings.

Varma’s knock now ranks the joint-fastest century by any Mumbai Indians batter in the history of the IPL, levelling up with former opener Sanath Jayasuriya from IPL 2008.

He also became the second youngest Mumbai Indians batter to score a century, doing so at the age of 23 years and 163 days. Cameron Green remains the youngest in the history of the franchise for scoring a century at 22 years and 352 days.

Mumbai Indians vs Gujarat Titans: As it happened

Mumbai Indians batted first and mounted 199-5 in 20 overs, despite slipping to 44-3 at one stage. Kagiso Rabada struck early for the Gujarat Titans with a three-wicket burst inside the powerplay overs, eventually claiming figures of 3-33 in the high-scoring innings.

Apart from Tilak Varma, number three batter Naman Dhir also composed 45 off 32 balls for the visitors.

In response, the Titans folded up for just 100 in 15.5 overs to mark their second lowest total in the history of the IPL. Jasprit Bumrah picked up his first wicket of the IPL 2026 season, while Ashwani Kumar decimated the hosts with a sizzling four-wicket haul.

Mumbai Indians, lifting themselves up from the bottom of the points table, will now face arch-rivals CSK in match 33 of the tournament on Thursday, April 23.

Also Read- Rohit Sharma Ignites Inner Mumbai Indians Captain In Middle Of GT Match