Varma’s hundred injects fresh life into Mumbai’s stuttering IPL campaign

NEW DELHI: Mired in a four-match losing streak, Mumbai Indians needed something special to revitalise their Indian Premier League (IPL) campaign and batter ​Tilak Varma duly delivered with an unbeaten century in Monday’s win ‌over Gujarat Titans.

The middle-order batter smashed 101 off 45 balls to lead the five-time champions to a 99-run win that hauled them off the bottom of the table and ​up to seventh in the 10-team league.

Varma’s previous best this season was ​20 and the 23-year-old said he had struck form at ⁠just the right time.

“The first hundred will always be special - and to be ​honest, it was very important for us,” he added.

“We don’t have much time ​from here. Every game is important for us.”

Batting at number five, Varma collected 19 from his first 22 balls before racing to his first IPL hundred in just 45 balls.

After ​going five innings without a six, he launched seven against a potent ​Gujarat attack that included Mohammed Siraj, Kagiso Rabada and Rashid Khan.

Chakravarthy overcomes surface tension to end Kolkata’s losing streak

“In the last five games, ‌I haven’t ⁠spent much time in the middle. So I was just thinking that in this game, I want to spend time in the middle,” he said.

“If you see the first 20 balls, I was just going ball-by-ball. Later on, ​once I had faced ​a few balls, ⁠I knew what I am capable of.

“I was stable, keeping my head still and following my basics. I’ve got ​all the fancy shots - when the team needs, I can ​use that.”

Mumbai ⁠captain Hardik Pandya, who played a largely support role in an 81-run stand with Varma, never doubted his teammate’s talent.

“The only thing I kept telling him (was) - you’re ⁠goint ​to just watch the ball and hit the ​ball because I genuinely believe the kind of (way the) ball travels from his bat is something really ​special,” Pandya said.