Tilak Verma emphatically announced himself with his first girl. IPL Century, an innings that not only made powerful Mumbai Indians An important win drew high praise from Rather Ravichandran Ashwin. Chasing momentum after a tough run, Mumbai found their spark thanks to Tilak’s unbeaten 101 off just 45 balls against Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad. While the knock itself stood out, Ashwin highlighted the impact of the captain. Hardik Pandya During the partnership, he pointed to his dynamic mid-pitch interaction with Tilak as a key factor in changing the energy of the innings. “Hardik Pandya was talking to him (Tilak Verma) while batting, he encouraged him, he did it as we see in WWF (WWE). Just like Triple H did with water. So what Hardik Pandya said and worked for Tilak Verma,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel. Although Hardik was not the primary aggressor, his presence and motivation played a role in keeping Tilak at bay. From there, the young left-hander took over, unleashed a quality bowling attack and decisively swung the game in Mumbai’s favour. Ashwin was particularly impressed by the quality of the innings, which made him one of the best players to watch in the IPL. “It’s easily one of the best IPL centuries I’ve seen. Ashok Sharma, Prasad Krishna, Rashid Khanand Muhammad Siraj On that pitch, it was probably one of the best IPL centuries I have ever seen,” he said on his YouTube channel. The context made the effort all the more impressive. It was not a routine century at a batting level, but one produced against a formidable attack that included proven match-winners like Rashid Khan and Mohammad Siraj. Tilak’s late surge lifted Mumbai to a competitive score. Ashwin also identified the final overs as the turning point that sealed Gujarat’s fate. “The momentum that MI got in the last three overs, it was game over for GT. The moment MI crossed 175 on that pitch, it was game over,” he added. That late surge proved decisive, as Mumbai turned a strong total into a match-winner, leaving Gujarat with plenty of chasing pressure. This win holds more significance for Mumbai. After a string of setbacks, it was the kind of performance that could reset their campaign. Tilak’s brilliant innings provided the foundation, while Hardik’s presence on the field added another layer to the story. As Ashwin’s remarks suggested, it was a mixture of timing, intent and leadership that helped Mumbai rediscover their edge.
