Tilak Varma Makes Rohit Sharma Blush With Special Celebration After MI's Historic Run-Chase

Tilak Varma honours Rohit Sharma [Source: X]

The recent IPL 2026 clash between the Mumbai Indians and Punjab Kings turned out to be an absolute thriller as Tilak Varma pulled off a heroic knock and also dedicated the victory to his idol and senior, Rohit Sharma.

MI, already out of the playoff race, had nothing to lose. They were playing for their pride under the captaincy of Jasprit Bumrah, who led the franchise for the first time in the absence of Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav.

Tilak Varma honours Rohit Sharma with a sweet gesture

Meanwhile, the Mumbai Indians had to chase 201 runs at Dharamsala to spoil the Punjab Kings’ party. However, their pursuit was rocky as Rohit Sharma struggled at 25 off 26 balls.

With around 80 runs needed off the last 5 overs, Tilak Varma took charge. He Yuzvendra Chahal for 20 runs, followed by taking on Marco Jansen for 22 runs in the 18th over.

With 15 needed off the final over, Varma smashed two back-to-back sixes off Xavier Bartlett to wrap up the chase with one ball to spare and guide the Mumbai Indians to a 6-wicket win.

As soon as he smashed that last six, Tilak erupted in his loud celebration. He jumped and punched in the air while roaring. Not only that, Varma gestured ‘45’ with his fingers while pointing at the dugout to pay tribute to Rohit Sharma.

Mufaddal Vohra

@mufaddal_vohra

🚨 TILAK VARMA HANDED PUNJAB KINGS THEIR 5TH CONSECUTIVE DEFEAT. 🚨 - The celebration from MI camp says it all. 🔥

May 14, 2026, 11:54 PM

Since Rohit had a tough outing with the bat, Tilak Varma ensured the senior didn’t feel left out and felt proud of the team’s effort. Rohit Sharma, meanwhile, applauded the junior’s effort from the dugout.

Also Read - Jasprit Bumrah Uses No Filter While Bashing MI Owners Just After Captaincy

Dharamsala tested Rohit Sharma

Meanwhile, with the bat, Rohit Sharma looked comfortable on the crease. He scored just 6 runs in the powerplay as Ryan Rickelton shouldered responsibility by scoring 48 off 23 balls.

Even after the powerplay, Rohit was barely able to connect to anything. He looked desperate after a while and took a swing at every ball. Eventually, his painful knock ended on 25 off 26 balls.

Fortunately, Tilak Varma’s 75*off 33 balls guided the Mumbai Indians home. But the form of Rohit Sharma was a talking point. He is rarely seen struggling like this in the T20 format, and this knock was unlike his usual self.

PBKS in tough spot after another painful defeat

That being said, the Mumbai Indians may already be out of the playoff race, but they played like a side with nothing to lose and everything to prove against the Punjab Kings. 

Free from qualification pressure, MI attacked fearlessly and exposed PBKS’ nerves in crunch moments, especially during the final overs, where the game completely slipped away from Shreyas Iyer’s side. 

The defeat has now blown the IPL 2026 playoff race wide open. PBKS remain fourth with 13 points, but both CSK and Rajasthan Royals are just one point behind and still have a game in hand. That means the race for the final playoff spot is suddenly wide open again.

All eyes now shift to Lucknow, where CSK get the first opportunity to jump into the top four when they face LSG.

Also Read - Punjab Kings Qualification Scenario For IPL 2026 Playoffs After Loss vs Mumbai Indians