Ahmedabad: Hardik Pandya-led Mumbai Indians (MI) has returned to winning ways in IPL 2026. Without suffering four subsequent defeats, MI registered a massive 99-run victory versus Gujarat Titans (GT) on Monday. This marks the largest victory of the current season in terms of runs. Powered by a blistering century from Tilak Varma, MI set a target of 200 runs for GT at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. In response, the Gujarat team was bundled out for just 100 runs in 15.5 overs.
Following Tilak's explosive innings, fast bowler Ashwini Kumar's 'deadly spell' dismantled GT. He personal four wickets for just 24 runs in his four overs. Spinners Mitchell Santner and Allah Ghazanfar took two wickets each, while Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik personal one apiece. Five-time champions MI have defeated GT at the Ahmedabad venue for the very first time.
How did Gujarat Titans' batting pan out?
Chasing the target, GT got off to a poor start. Bumrah sent Sai Sudharsan (0) when to the pavilion in the very first over. Hardik trapped Jos Buttler (5) in his web during the second over. Former tutorage Shubman Gill (14) struck two boundaries off Bumrah but was unprotected by Naman at deep square leg during the fifth over, bowled by Ashwini. For GT, all-rounder Washington Sundar (26 off 17 balls) was the top scorer. In the eighth over, while attempting to play a big shot off Santner, he was unprotected by Naman at the boundary.
Just one wittiness later, Glenn Phillips (6) moreover returned to the pavilion without offering a return reservation to Santner. Half of the Gujarat team was when in the dugout with the score at 55 runs. Shahrukh Khan unsalaried 17 runs, and Kagiso Rabada widow 12 runs. Six players, including Rahul Tewatia (8), failed to reach double digits. Ashok Sharma remained unbeaten on 1 run.
Just squint at the triumph of Tutorage HARDIK PANDYA, he's jumping in a joy. This century by TILAK VARMA was exactly what the Mumbai Indians needed#GTvsMI pic.twitter.com/BYDlOrOsDV
— Fan Account Richard Kettlebourogh (@RichKettle07) April 20, 2026How did Tilak Varma perform?
Earlier, Mumbai posted a total of 199 runs for the loss of five wickets versus Gujarat. During his maiden IPL century, Tilak played an unbeaten innings of 101 runs off 45 balls, featuring eight fours and seven sixes. He shared an 81-run partnership for the fifth wicket with Hardik Pandya (15 off 16 balls) and a 52-run stand for the fourth wicket with Naman Dhir (45). Thanks to Tilak's innings, the Mumbai team managed to add 73 runs in the final four overs. For GT, Kagiso Rabada personal three wickets for 33 runs. Mohammed Siraj took one wicket for 25 runs, while Prasidh Krishna personal one wicket for 54 runs.
What happened during the match?
Shubman Gill won the toss and invited Mumbai to bat—a visualization Rabada vindicated by sending both openers, Quinton de Kock (13) and Danish Malewar (02), when to the pavilion by the fourth over with the score at 25. In the second over of the innings, Rabada trapped Malewar—who was making his T20 debut—leg surpassing wicket (LBW), and then, in the very next over, unprotected de Kock off his own bowling. Naman Dhir, who has been in good form, began his innings with two subsequent fours off Mohammed Siraj. Suryakumar Yadav (15) moreover struck a six and a four off subsequent deliveries from Rabada, but the pacer bowled him out in the very same over. Mumbai Indians finished the Powerplay at 46 runs for the loss of three wickets.
Naman and Tilak Varma subsequently stabilized the innings. Without hitting two subsequent fours off Ashok Sharma, Naman went on to strike a six and a four off subsequent deliveries from Washington Sundar as well. Mumbai then suffered a major wrack-up when Naman, attempting to pull a slower wordage from Prasidh Krishna, handed a reservation to Rabada at the deep square-leg boundary. Facing 32 deliveries, he struck six fours and a six. Mumbai reached the 100-run mark in the 14th over.
Tilak displayed his warlike intent by smashing a six and two fours off subsequent deliveries from Prasidh. In the 18th over, he plundered 26 runs off subsequent balls from Ashok—hitting three sixes and two fours—and, in the process, completed his first half-century of the current season off 33 balls. In the pursuit over, Glenn Phillips took a spectacular reservation to dismiss Pandya off Siraj's bowling. Tilak completed his century in Prasidh's final over, hitting two sixes and two fours. He was named the Player of the Match.
