Following Mumbai Indians' victory over Gujarat Titans, former Indian cricketer Cheteshwar Pujara advised the franchise's star batter Tilak Varma to adopt a more positive approach against spin bowling.
Pujara suggested that Varma should use sweeps, reverse sweeps, and step out of the crease to exert pressure on spinners.
Tilak scored a remarkable 101 not out off 45 balls against Gujarat Titans, achieving Mumbai Indians' joint-fastest IPL fifty, equalling the record held by Sanath Jayasuriya. Despite a slow start of 19 runs from 22 balls as the team struggled at 44 for 3, Tilak accelerated in the latter part of his innings, scoring 82 runs in 23 balls, including eight fours and seven sixes, at a strike rate of 356.
Speaking on JioHotstar's ‘Champions Waali Commentary’, Pujara emphasised that Varma needs to put bowlers under pressure by playing with intent and taking risks, rather than merely rotating the strike, which allows spinners to maintain control. “Tilak needs to be a bit more positive against spinners. I am not saying he should just go for the big shots. When you play with intent and try to be positive, the spinner is forced to change his lengths. That puts pressure on him. Tilak can step out of the crease and can use the sweep or reverse sweep. He has many options, but first he must understand his own strength,” Pujara said.
He added, “When I played, stepping out was my strength. If a bowler tried a short ball, I would play the cut or pull on the back foot. I feel Tilak should also step out and play his strokes. That will put the spinner under pressure. His sweep shot is also good, so that is another option. But the key is to keep the spinner under pressure. If you only try to rotate the strike in T20s, the spinner gets on top and doesn’t need to change his length.”
Another JioStar expert and former cricketer, Aditya Tare, highlighted Mumbai Indians' resilience, noting that the win marked their second victory of the season after four consecutive defeats. He recalled the team's history of making significant comebacks in past campaigns. “This win against the Gujarat Titans is very important for the Mumbai Indians. They had lost four of their first five matches this season and were at the bottom of the table. But Mumbai Indians have a history of making comebacks after poor starts. Take the example of the 2014 season, they lost their first five matches but still reached the playoffs. Then in 2015, they were in a similar position. They made an incredible comeback in the second half of the season and went on to win the trophy for the second time, beating Chennai Super Kings in the final. This team knows how to fight back. They will definitely take inspiration from those past seasons,” he stated.
In the match, Gujarat Titans won the toss and chose to field. Mumbai Indians initially struggled, losing three wickets for 44 runs during the powerplay. However, a crucial partnership between Naman Dhir, who scored 45 off 32 balls with six fours and a six, and Tilak Varma steadied the innings. Varma's explosive innings propelled Mumbai Indians to a total of 199 for 5 in 20 overs.
For Gujarat Titans, pacer Kagiso Rabada was the most successful bowler, taking three wickets for 33 runs. Mohammed Siraj continued his economical form with figures of one for 25.
During the chase, Gujarat Titans were dismissed for 100 runs in 15.5 overs. Ashwani claimed career-best figures of four for 24 with his left-arm pace bowling, while spinners Allah Ghazanfar and Mitchell Santner restricted Gujarat Titans by taking two wickets each. Jasprit Bumrah also contributed with one wicket for 15 runs in three overs.