Ahmedabad, April 21 (IANS) Captain Hardik Pandya heaped praise on top batter Tilak Varma after his brilliant century helped the Mumbai Indians (MI) crush the Gujarat Titans (GT) by 99 runs in Match 30 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Monday.

Pandya said that Tilak’s knock was exactly what the team needed at the right moment. He highlighted that such performances were expected of a player of his talent and believed it was the right time for him to step up.

“The talent Tilak has, he does not need much advice. It was about time he came and delivered. It was much needed for the group, for Tilak and the Mumbai Indians,” Pandya said after the match.

Mumbai Indians put up a commanding total of 199/5, built around Tilak’s sensational unbeaten 101 off just 45 balls, a knock that also saw him equal the franchise record for the fastest century. Naman Dhir supported well with a crucial 45-run innings, helping MI recover after early setbacks.

Pandya also expressed satisfaction after the Mumbai Indians broke the four-match loss streak in IPL 2026.

“Very important. It is always challenging to go away and win. Also, Ahmedabad has not been a happy ground for the Mumbai Indians, so very satisfying,” he said.

Defending the total, MI’s bowlers dominated from the start. Jasprit Bumrah struck on the very first ball, while Pandya himself removed Jos Buttler early in the chase. The pressure never eased on the Gujarat Titans as wickets fell regularly.

Addressing questions around Bumrah’s usage with the new ball, Pandya made it clear that it was a tactical choice. “Quite fascinating, I have seen many people asking why Jassi hasn’t bowled with the new ball, but he hasn’t bowled with the new ball maybe 7 or 8 times, so it is not a Hardik Pandya problem, it is Jassi being special,” he explained.

Mumbai Indians’ bowling unit delivered collectively, with Ashwani Kumar starring with figures of 4/24, while Mitchell Santner and Allah Ghazanfar picked up two wickets each to dismantle the GT batting lineup. “It was about bowling in the right areas and bowling with the right intent. Really amazing by the youngsters, so fielding had to click,” Pandya concluded, lauding the team’s overall effort.

Meanwhile, after the dominant win, the Mumbai Indians have moved up to seventh in the points table with four points from six matches. They will next face arch-rivals Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on April 23.

–IANS

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