Tilak Varma scored his maiden Indian Premier League century as Mumbai Indians defeated Gujarat Titans by nine wickets in Ahmedabad on April 20, 2026.
Varma remained unbeaten on 101 off 61 balls, guiding Mumbai to a chase of 181 with 37 balls to spare.
His innings included seven boundaries and six sixes, coming at a strike rate of 165.6.
Hardik Pandya praised Varma’s knock and the contribution of young players in ending Mumbai’s four‑match losing streak.
Varma credited Naman Dhir’s “positive intent” in the dressing room for helping him settle, and accelerate.
Gujarat Titans posted 180 for nine in their 20 overs, with Rashid Khan taking three for 24 and Shubman Gill scoring 45 off 38 balls.
Mumbai’s bowling restricted Gujarat to 180, with Jasprit Bumrah claiming two for 28 and Pandya one for 22.
The win lifted Mumbai to seventh place in the IPL 2026 standings with six points from eight matches.
Gujarat remain fifth with ten points from nine games after the loss.
How Varma’s century shifted the match momentum
Varma’s arrival at the crease with Mumbai at 45 for two in the seventh over turned a precarious chase into a controlled pursuit.
He added 56 runs with Naman Dhir for the third wicket, taking the score to 101 before Dhir’s departure.
Varma then accelerated, bringing up his fifty in 30 balls and his century in 61, leaving Gujarat with no viable response.
The partnership yielded 78 runs off 42 balls, shifting the required run rate from over ten an over to under six.
What Gujarat’s bowling lacked in the death overs
Gujarat’s death‑over bowling conceded 48 runs in the final five overs, with only Rashid Khan managing to keep the economy under eight runs per over.
Pace bowlers Mohit Sharma and Uzma Khan leaked 30 runs in the last two overs combined, allowing Mumbai to finish strongly.
The lack of variation in pace and length after the powerplay gave Varma room to target the boundaries consistently.
Who scored the fastest fifty for Mumbai in this match?
Tilak Varma reached fifty in 30 balls, the fastest fifty for Mumbai Indians in the innings.
How many points does Mumbai have after this win?
Mumbai Indians have six points from eight matches in IPL 2026.