IPL 2026: “You’ve got to watch the ball and hit the ball”- Hardik Pandya on chat with Tilak Varma in the middle

Tilak Varma slammed his maiden IPL ton, scoring 101* against GT, helping MI win by 99 runs.

Mumbai Indians (MI) captain Hardik Pandya revealed what he said to Tilak Varma during their time in the middle in their recent IPL 2026 game against the Gujarat Titans (GT) in Ahmedabad on April 20, 2026.

After four consecutive defeats in IPL 2026, MI demolished Gujarat Titans by 99 runs on Monday, with Tilak Varma's maiden IPL century and Jasprit Bumrah's new-ball burst helping to release the pressure on five-time IPL champions.

Skipper Hardik saw the outcome as significant on multiple levels. It stopped Mumbai's losing skid, came at the venue where they had fared poorly against the Gujarat Titans, and came on a night when Tilak delivered the innings the franchise had long hoped for.

The MI captain explained that the knock was more of an overdue delivery from a player with outstanding ball-striking talent.

“The kind of talent that Tilak has, he really does not need to worry about a lot. So the only message I kept telling him was, "You've got to watch the ball and hit the ball irrespective of what (it's doing), because I genuinely believe the ball travels from his bat is something really special,” Hardik Pandya said during the post-match presentation.

Varma, who was struggling at 19 in 22 balls, went on to score his maiden IPL century, finishing on 101* in 45 balls. He equaled Sanath Jayasuriya’s record for the fastest IPL ton by an MI batter. His acceleration at the end provided MI with the good score of 199/5.

“It was about time that he came and delivered. I think a couple of times, I went so loud that I kind of got dizzy. But it was much needed for the group; it was much needed for Tilak; it was much needed for the Mumbai Indians; and as a captain as well, that kind of energy to change things around,” Hardik added.

Jasprit Bumrah finally broke his streak of wicketless outings in IPL 2026 as he dismissed Sai Sudharsan with the first ball of GT's innings.

“It’s just that Jasprit Bumrah is so special that you use him whenever he’s required for the team. Not when you start. But today we realized that we really want to make an impact with the new ball, and no one’s better than him,” Hardik said about Bumrah.

Hardik also pushed back at the recurring debate around Bumrah not opening more often.

“I’ve seen a lot of people ask why Jassi has never bowled. So, I don’t think it’s a Hardik Pandya problem,” Hardik stated.

With spring in their steps, MI will prep well for their big-ticket game against CSK on April 23 at home in Mumbai.