Mumbai Indians‘ (MI) victory in opposition to Gujarat Titans (GT) in Ahmedabad was ‘a lot wanted for the group’ in accordance to captain Hardik Pandya.
Hardik dismissed Jos Buttler with the ball and was a part of an 81-run stand with Tilak Varma earlier within the night to snap a four-match shedding streak in IPL 2026.
Tilak was the star of the present. His 45-ball 101* allowed MI to rating a hefty 73 runs within the ultimate 4 overs and helped them set GT a goal of 200. It was Tilak’s first-ever IPL century and included eight fours to go together with seven sixes.
“The kind of talent that Tilak has, he really does not need to worry about a lot,” Hardik mentioned. “So the only message I kept telling him [was that] you gotta watch the ball and hit the ball irrespective of what [it’s doing] because I genuinely believe the [way] the ball travels from his bat is something really special.
“It was about time that he comes and delivers. I feel a couple of occasions, I went so loud that I sort of acquired dizzy. But it was a lot wanted for the group, it was a lot wanted for Tilak, it was a lot wanted for Mumbai Indians, and as a captain as nicely that sort of power to change issues round.”
After those dizzying hits, it was time for Jasprit Bumrah to take centrestage. He opened the bowling in the IPL for the first time since 2022 and removed B Sai Sudharsan off the first ball.
Bumrah rarely bowls the first over, today was the seventh time he’s done it in 151 IPL games and 16 times across 276 T20s. He opened the bowling because MI “actually wished to make an impression with the brand new ball”.
“It’s fairly fascinating,” Hardik said, “I’ve seen a lot of individuals why Jassi has by no means bowled however in case you see it is his 138th look and I feel eight or 9 occasions [seven in 151] Jassi has bowled first over. So, I do not suppose it is a Hardik Pandya downside. It’s simply that Jasprit Bumrah is so particular that you employ him every time he’s required for the group. Not if you begin. But at the moment we realised that we actually need to make an impression with the brand new ball and nobody’s higher than him.”
The visitors came into Ahmedabad with an unenviable record of 0-4 against GT at the venue. They turned it around with a massive 99-run win and the time it came in made it “particular”.
“It’s at all times difficult to go away and win. But on the identical level of time, [playing in] Ahmedabad has been one thing very powerful for us as Mumbai Indians. We simply performed good cricket and it feels very particular as a result of it was a lot wanted.”
