Tilak Varma explains how Rohit Sharma's tip sparked his masterclass against GT
IPL 2026, MI vs CSK: Tilak Varma revealed on Wednesday that Rohit Sharma's advice to play the first 15–20 balls without overthinking the situation helped him return to form with an IPL hundred.
Mumbai Indians batter Tilak Varma credited a simple yet impactful piece of advice from Rohit Sharma for his stunning return to form, revealing how a clear mindset helped him script a match-winning century against Gujarat Titans in IPL 2026.
Tilak struck a scintillating 101 not out off just 45 balls, laced with eight fours and seven sixes, to power Mumbai Indians to a commanding 99-run victory. The win also ended MI's four-match losing streak, giving the five-time champions a much-needed boost in the tournament.
What made the knock even more remarkable was the turnaround in tempo. The left-hander was struggling early on, managing just 19 not out off 22 balls, before shifting gears dramatically to take the attack to the Gujarat Titans bowlers.
Speaking on the eve of MI's clash against Chennai Super Kings at the Wankhede Stadium, Tilak revealed the conversation that changed his approach.
"I was talking especially with Rohit bhai. He told me to 'play 15-20 balls' and that 'you know what you are capable of'," Tilak told reporters.
GT vs MI: HIGHLIGHTS | SCORECARD
"(Rohit said) 'if you play 15 balls, everyone knows what you will do after that. Just do not look at the situation or anything else, play 15 balls and we will see whatever the result would be'."
The clarity of that advice allowed Tilak to block out external pressures and trust his natural game.
" That gave me confidence and I had it in my mind to play the 15 balls and to see the rest after that. Once I had played those 15 balls, you get that instinct automatically, that I will hit now," Tilak added.
The 23-year-old also opened up about his lean patch earlier in the season, where he registered scores of 20, 0, 14, 1 and 8. However, Tilak insisted he did not burden himself with expectations during that phase.
"(In a couple of matches) I did not get much time on the wicket and I had to go from the start. Sometimes, it comes my way and sometimes I get out, so I did not take much (pressure) on me that I was not in a good form," he said.
Tilak also backed teammate Suryakumar Yadav, who has had a relatively quiet IPL so far, saying the star batter is close to producing a big innings.
"I would not say that Surya bhai is out of form; he is batting well. If you see the shots he is playing in the match, they are coming from the middle of the bat and it doesn't look like he is out of touch," Tilak said.
"It is just a matter of one innings which he is waiting for."
Drawing parallels with past performances, Tilak added: "The same thing had happened in the first match of the T20 World Cup. If the starting match had not gone well for the (Indian) team, the atmosphere would have been different and he proved it there."
Despite frequently moving up and down the batting order for both Mumbai Indians and India, Tilak reiterated his flexibility, even as he acknowledged his preferred position.
"I have been hearing the same question (on batting order) for the last three years. I love to bat at No.3 but I am always up (to bat) where the team needs me to whenever it is Nos. 4, 5, 6 or 7," he said.
Tilak also shed light on his approach during difficult phases, stressing that mental clarity often outweighs excessive practice.
"To be honest, I always think about what is the need (of the team) at that moment," he said.
"Sometimes, I feel like I have to practice more and sometimes, I feel like I have to stay off the game. Before going to sleep, I think about how I am feeling mentally. It's not always possible to practice more in order to score runs -- there is nothing like that."
Reflecting on his recent approach, he added: "In the World Cup, I did not score many runs at the start and I felt I needed to practice and I practiced a lot. But now (in IPL), when I did not score in 2-3 matches, I felt like staying off the game."
"I did not train much but I spoke with my childhood coach and if there is anything to share about batting, I do it with Rohit bhai," Tilak added.
IPL 2026 | IPL Schedule | IPL Points Table | IPL Player Stats | Purple Cap | Orange Cap | IPL Videos | Cricket News | Live Score
Mumbai Indians batter Tilak Varma credited a simple yet impactful piece of advice from Rohit Sharma for his stunning return to form, revealing how a clear mindset helped him script a match-winning century against Gujarat Titans in IPL 2026.
Tilak struck a scintillating 101 not out off just 45 balls, laced with eight fours and seven sixes, to power Mumbai Indians to a commanding 99-run victory. The win also ended MI's four-match losing streak, giving the five-time champions a much-needed boost in the tournament.
What made the knock even more remarkable was the turnaround in tempo. The left-hander was struggling early on, managing just 19 not out off 22 balls, before shifting gears dramatically to take the attack to the Gujarat Titans bowlers.
Speaking on the eve of MI's clash against Chennai Super Kings at the Wankhede Stadium, Tilak revealed the conversation that changed his approach.
"I was talking especially with Rohit bhai. He told me to 'play 15-20 balls' and that 'you know what you are capable of'," Tilak told reporters.
GT vs MI: HIGHLIGHTS | SCORECARD
"(Rohit said) 'if you play 15 balls, everyone knows what you will do after that. Just do not look at the situation or anything else, play 15 balls and we will see whatever the result would be'."
The clarity of that advice allowed Tilak to block out external pressures and trust his natural game.
" That gave me confidence and I had it in my mind to play the 15 balls and to see the rest after that. Once I had played those 15 balls, you get that instinct automatically, that I will hit now," Tilak added.
The 23-year-old also opened up about his lean patch earlier in the season, where he registered scores of 20, 0, 14, 1 and 8. However, Tilak insisted he did not burden himself with expectations during that phase.
"(In a couple of matches) I did not get much time on the wicket and I had to go from the start. Sometimes, it comes my way and sometimes I get out, so I did not take much (pressure) on me that I was not in a good form," he said.
Tilak also backed teammate Suryakumar Yadav, who has had a relatively quiet IPL so far, saying the star batter is close to producing a big innings.
"I would not say that Surya bhai is out of form; he is batting well. If you see the shots he is playing in the match, they are coming from the middle of the bat and it doesn't look like he is out of touch," Tilak said.
"It is just a matter of one innings which he is waiting for."
Drawing parallels with past performances, Tilak added: "The same thing had happened in the first match of the T20 World Cup. If the starting match had not gone well for the (Indian) team, the atmosphere would have been different and he proved it there."
Despite frequently moving up and down the batting order for both Mumbai Indians and India, Tilak reiterated his flexibility, even as he acknowledged his preferred position.
"I have been hearing the same question (on batting order) for the last three years. I love to bat at No.3 but I am always up (to bat) where the team needs me to whenever it is Nos. 4, 5, 6 or 7," he said.
Tilak also shed light on his approach during difficult phases, stressing that mental clarity often outweighs excessive practice.
"To be honest, I always think about what is the need (of the team) at that moment," he said.
"Sometimes, I feel like I have to practice more and sometimes, I feel like I have to stay off the game. Before going to sleep, I think about how I am feeling mentally. It's not always possible to practice more in order to score runs -- there is nothing like that."
Reflecting on his recent approach, he added: "In the World Cup, I did not score many runs at the start and I felt I needed to practice and I practiced a lot. But now (in IPL), when I did not score in 2-3 matches, I felt like staying off the game."
"I did not train much but I spoke with my childhood coach and if there is anything to share about batting, I do it with Rohit bhai," Tilak added.
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