Ahmedabad, April 20 (IANS) Tilak Varma etched his name into the record books by equalling the fastest century ever scored for the Mumbai Indians (MI), reaching his hundred in just 45 balls during Match 30 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 against the Gujarat Titans (GT) at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Monday.

With this effort, he matched the long-standing record of Sanath Jayasuriya, who had scored a 45-ball century against Chennai Super Kings at the Wankhede Stadium back in 2008.

The list of fastest hundreds for the Mumbai Indians now sees Tilak share the top spot with Jayasuriya (45 balls, 2008), followed by Cameron Green, who smashed a 47-ball ton against Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2023, and Suryakumar Yadav, who registered a 49-ball century against Gujarat Titans in the same season. Tilak’s knock also adds to MI’s success against GT, becoming their second centurion against the franchise after Suryakumar Yadav’s unbeaten 103 off 49 balls at the Wankhede Stadium in 2023.

Speaking of the match, the five-time champions had a difficult start after being asked to bat first. Early strikes from Kagiso Rabada put MI under pressure, as he removed Danish Malewar, Quinton de Kock, and Suryakumar Yadav in the Power-play, restricting the side to just 46/3 in six overs.

With the team in trouble, Tilak took responsibility and rebuilt the innings alongside Naman Dhir. The duo stitched a crucial 52-run partnership, stabilising the innings with smart strike rotation and timely boundaries. Dhir contributed a fluent 45 off 32 balls before falling to Prasidh Krishna.

Tilak, who began cautiously on a slightly slow surface, shifted gears after settling in. He accelerated brilliantly in the latter half of the innings, targeting the bowlers with confidence. His fifty came off 33 balls, but what followed was a display of pure dominance.

In the death overs, Tilak unleashed a flurry of boundaries and sixes, taking full control of the game. He brought up his maiden IPL century in just 45 balls and remained unbeaten on 101, an innings decorated with eight fours and seven sixes.

His outstanding knock lifted the Mumbai Indians to a competitive total of 199/5, especially after their shaky start. Rabada was the standout bowler for the Gujarat Titans with figures of 3/33, but Tilak’s brilliance in the final overs ensured MI finished strongly.

–IANS

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