Tilak Verma's century laid the foundation for victory for Mumbai.Image Credit source: PTI
After losing 4 consecutive matches, five-time champion Mumbai Indians have tasted victory. After winning the very first match of IPL 2026, Mumbai, which was facing consecutive defeats, defeated Gujarat Titans by 99 runs in a one-sided match. While Mumbai scored 199 runs on the basis of Tilak Verma's first IPL century, Jasprit Bumrah, who remained empty handed in 6 consecutive matches, also gave the team a great start in bowling by taking his first wicket. Then fast bowler Ashwani Kumar, playing his first match in the season, sealed Mumbai's victory by taking 4 wickets.
Gujarat Titans had to face this crushing defeat in front of their fans in the 30th match of IPL 2026 played at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. However, when the match started, hardly anyone would have expected this. especially Kagiso Rabada (3/33) had reduced Mumbai's 3 wickets for just 44 runs with his fast balls in the power play itself. But then Naman Dhir (45) played an excellent innings and took the team close to 100 runs.
But after this the entire innings was in the name of Tilak Verma only. Tilak, who had scored only 43 runs in the last 5 matches, scored a brilliant century in just 45 balls in this match. At one time Tilak was playing after scoring only 19 runs in 22 balls but from here he suddenly took explosive form and thrashed the GT bowlers who were bowling very tightly. On the other hand, Hardik Pandya just kept watching and could score only 15 runs in 16 balls. Tilak (101 runs, 45 balls, 7 sixes, 8 fours) completed his first century in IPL by hitting a four on the last ball of the innings.
After Tilak, it was the turn of Bumrah, who had not been able to take any wicket in 146 consecutive balls since the last season in IPL. This time Bumrah bowled the first over of the innings and ended his drought by dismissing Sai Sudarshan on the very first ball. Then in the very next over, Hardik Pandya also took the wicket of Jos Buttler. But the real miracle was done by impact player Ashwani Kumar (4/24). This was the first match of this left-arm fast bowler in IPL 2026 and the first wicket he took was that of Gujarat captain Shubhman Gill (14). From here, Gujarat's defeat seemed certain.
Then Mitchell Santner ended the remaining hopes by dismissing Washington Sundar (26) and Glenn Phillips (6) in the same over. Even after this, Ashwani continued his havoc and also took the wickets of Rahul Tewatia, Shahrukh Khan and Rashid Khan. The last two wickets were taken by spinner Allah Ghazanfar and thus the entire Gujarat team collapsed for just 100 runs in 15.5 overs. In this way, Mumbai defeated Gujarat Titans for the first time on the ground of Ahmedabad.
