It was a night to remember for Tilak Varma who delivered a breathtaking performance to power Mumbai Indians to a dominant victory over Gujarat Titans in the IPL 2026.
The 23-year cricketer smashed his maiden IPL century, scoring an unbeaten 101 off just 45 balls. His innings included eight fours and seven sixes, helping Mumbai post a strong total of 199/5. In reply, Gujarat Titans collapsed for just 100 runs in 15.5 overs, handing Mumbai a huge 99-run win.
What made Tilak Varma’s knock even more special was how it unfolded. He started cautiously, managing only 19 runs from his first 22 balls. But once he found his rhythm, there was no stopping. The turning point came in the 15th over when he hit his first boundary, a six, and then quickly accelerated, reaching his century in no time as bowlers struggled to contain him.
With support from the bowlers, especially Ashwani Kumar, Mumbai sealed a convincing win. Tilak Varma also achieved a rare milestone, he outscored the entire opposition team, becoming the first Mumbai Indians player and only the eighth batter in the IPL history to do so. The last player to achieve this feat was KL Rahul in 2020.
This remarkable list includes some legendary names. Brendon McCullum was the first to do it, scoring an unbeaten 158 in the opening match of the IPL in 2008 for Kolkata Knight Riders against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, who were bowled out for 82. Chris Gayle holds the record for doing it twice, more than anyone else.
Tilak Varma also joined another elite group by becoming only the fourth player in the IPL history to score a century while batting at number five or lower. The last to achieve this was Ben Stokes in 2017 for Rising Pune Supergiant. Others in this club include Yusuf Pathan and David Miller.
This innings not only ended Mumbai’s four-match losing streak but also pushed them up to seventh place in the standings. Overall, Tilak Varma now has five T20 centuries, including two in international cricket, marking him as one of the rising stars to watch.
