” Hardik Bhai Was Charged Up And Kept Saying, ‘you Can Do It, You Will Do It’; I Asked Him To Calm Down ” – Tilak Varma On The Chat During The Time – Out
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Tilak Varma’s explosive maiden ton propelled Mumbai Indians to a dominant 99-run win over Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad, bringing an end to their four-match losing-run in TATA IPL 2026. Speaking on JioHotstar’s ‘Google Search AI Mode Match Centre Live’ and Star Sports’ ‘Amul Cricket Live‘, Mumbai Indians’ batter Tilak Varma reflected on his match-winning knock, and the backing from Hardik Pandya, while JioStar expert Mitchell McClenaghan analysed the impact of Jasprit Bumrah’s crucial role with the ball.
Speaking on JioHotstar’s ‘Google Search AI Mode Match Centre Live’, Mumbai Indians’ batter Tilak Varma elaborated on the importance of his century and those crucial two points against GT:
“It was very important for the team and for me. 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. 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.”
On what MI Captain Hardik Pandya said to him in the animated time-out chat:
“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.”
On the Ahmedabad pitch and his preferred batting position:
“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. 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. 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 practised in a way that allows me to play confidently in any position. But if someone asks me, I would always say number three.”
Speaking on Star Sports’ ‘Amul Cricket Live’, JioStar expert Mitchell McClenaghan called MI Captain Hardik Pandya’s decision to give Bumrah the first over a masterstroke:
“Jasprit Bumrah bowling the first over of the run chase was a masterstroke. That is exactly what we have been asking for in many games now. With no other bowler in MI’s lineup able to penetrate with the new ball, they needed Bumrah to be used as an attacking weapon. They used him in the first three overs to try and break the opening partnership of Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan, and Bumrah delivered. GT rely heavily on their opening pair for runs. Once that partnership is broken, they struggle because their middle order is not strong. Deploying Bumrah in the first over to get one opener out and expose GT’s fragile middle-order is a sign of excellent captaincy by Hardik Pandya. While it was pleasing to see Bumrah take the new ball, they may not use him in the first six overs every time because other teams have strong middle-orders, and Bumrah will be needed to penetrate there. But against GT, that strategy worked perfectly.”
On Jasprit Bumrah bringing an end to his wicketless run:
“Bringing an end to his wicketless run of six games since last season’s qualifier two exit against Punjab Kings must have been a huge relief for Jasprit Bumrah. He is a class bowler. A bowler of his stature going wicketless for six games is something that hurts a lot. Yes, he was being economical and not giving away many runs, but the thrill of picking up wickets as a fast bowler is something you cannot get by just being economical.
We seamers work day in and day out in the nets to polish our skills and pick up wickets to help our team do well and when we don’t get wickets in consecutive games, it hurts a lot. Bumrah will be really relieved and happy. His bowling performance plays a key role in Mumbai’s success. The way he got the wicket of Sai Sudharsan on the first ball showed that Bumrah is slowly getting back to his best. Yes, he only got one wicket, but that is not a major concern. Bumrah opening his wicket-taking account this IPL season means good news for Mumbai Indians.”
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