Tilak Varma back in form for MI (Photo Reuters)

GT vs MI: Tilak Varma smashes 45-ball century, flaunts new celebration in Ahmedabad

IPL 2026: Tilak Varma led a stunning Mumbai Indians revival with a blistering 45-ball century against Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium, smashing his way to a record-equalling fastest MI hundred after a slow start and powering the team to a 200-run total.

20 Apr 2026, 15:51 by Naman Suri · India Today

In Short

Tilak Varma smashed his maiden IPL century in 45 balls
This was the joint-fastest century by a Mumbai Indians batter
First fifty-plus score for Tilak Varma in 15 T20 innings

Tilak Varma lit up Ahmedabad with a breathtaking maiden Indian Premier League century, powering Mumbai Indians to a commanding total against the Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Monday.

The left-hander reached his hundred in just 45 balls, equalling the record for the fastest century by a Mumbai Indians batter. More importantly, the knock marked a return to form after a prolonged lean patch, as Varma produced an innings of authority and flair when his team needed it most.

GT vs MI: UPDATES | SCORECARD

His celebration was as striking as the innings itself. Varma removed his helmet, placed it beside his bat, pointed one finger towards the sky and another to his forehead, and then folded his hands in a moment of quiet gratitude. Around him, Hardik Pandya led the applause as the dressing room rose in appreciation of a special effort.

Varma’s innings was a tale of two halves. He began cautiously, finding it difficult to break free early on and slipping to 19 off 22 balls. What followed was a dramatic shift in tempo. Once set, he dismantled the Gujarat attack with calculated aggression, targeting the death overs with precision.

The final six overs yielded 99 runs, with Varma at the heart of the onslaught. He hammered 82 runs off his last 23 deliveries, turning the innings on its head. While his partners struggled to accelerate, Varma ensured Mumbai seized complete control of the contest.

Much of the damage came against Prasidh Krishna and Ashok Sharma, who erred in execution under pressure. Despite field settings that suggested a short-ball plan,

Mumbai Indians, currently struggling at the bottom of the league table in 10th place with four losses in their first five matches, have experienced a noticeable dip in form among their most seasoned batters.

The team had already been struggling significantly with the bat, missing star opener Rohit Sharma due to a hamstring injury, when Rabada dismantled their top order. The Hyderabad-born southpaw, a recent ICC T20 World Cup winner, arrived at the crease during the powerplay itself, a critical juncture for MI after Kagiso Rabada took away debutant Danish Malewar, Quinton de Kock, and Suryakumar Yadav in his first three overs.

Prior to this knock, Varma had been under intense scrutiny for his poor form, averaging a mere 8.6 with only 43 runs on the season. This milestone also represents only the fourth time in IPL history that a batter coming in at number five or lower has scored a century.

Tilak’s innings also set a unique IPL record: he became the first player to score over 70 runs in an innings without hitting a single boundary in his first 20 balls.

- Ends