Tilak Varma attributed his match-winning century to “adapting to conditions” and said that, with so many World Cup winners in their squad, the Mumbai Indians can be “unstoppable” going forward if they perform well.
MI ended its four-match losing record in the 2026 Indian Premier League with a dominant 99-run victory over Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad with to Tilak’s brilliant 101 not out.
“It was very important for the team and for me,” Tilak, who has been struggling for form in this season, was quoted by PTI while telling JioHotstar.
“Over the last four or five games, the one thing constantly running through my head was that I hadn’t spent much time in the middle and hadn’t faced many balls, so my aim was to spend some time at the wicket and then adapt according to the team’s situation.”
Speaking about his strategy, Tilak stated that he concentrated on straight hitting and evaluated the pitch early.
“Whenever MI comes to Ahmedabad, they usually give us a black-soil wicket, which is a bit slow in nature. It’s not that our batters cannot adapt, but we know what we can do if there is more bounce,” he said.
“Since it was slow and low, we had to adjust and try to hit straight. There wasn’t much bounce, so playing across the line to deliveries in line with the stumps was risky.
“I decided to hit straighter, and I read the conditions well; thankfully, I was able to score some runs.”
Tilak stated that he likes batting at number three but is still adaptable when it comes to his preferred batting position.
“Personally, I like batting at number three a lot. However, I am happy to bat wherever the team needs me, because since childhood, I have practiced in a way that allows me to play confidently in any position.
“But if someone asks me, I would always say number three.”
Tilak is still hopeful about a turnaround after the victory moved the Mumbai Indians to seventh place in the standings.
“I am grateful that it worked out that way. However, we shouldn’t look too far ahead and should take one match at a time. Every game is almost like a knockout for us.
“We know what we are capable of, having several World Cup winners in the side, experienced players, and the skills we possess.
“If we execute well, we can be unstoppable. So, it is important to keep our heads down and continue working hard.” He also shared a light moment about his interaction with captain Hardik Pandya during a timeout.
“As everyone knows, Hardik bhai is very energetic. He was charged up and kept saying, “As everyone knows, Hardik bhai is very energetic. He was charged up and kept saying, ‘You can do it, you will do it,’ to boost me.
“I just asked him to calm down because I needed to stay focused, and I assured him that I would take care of the rest.”
