All eyes remain on Indian cricket as the IPL continues to unearth some of the finest young batters in world cricket, ensuring the game is well placed for the future once the era of greats like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni eventually winds down. Mumbai Indians, one of the most successful franchises in IPL history, have consistently produced top-quality players for Indian cricket and maintained their dominance over the years with star-studded line-ups, lifting five IPL titles.
Now, it seems the torch is gradually being carried forward from Rohit, who has delivered countless match-winning moments for the iconic franchise, to a new name in Tilak Varma. The 23-year-old batter from Hyderabad made his IPL debut in 2022 and has since risen to prominence in the MI setup as a dependable middle-order batter and a reliable match-finisher.
He once again justified the faith shown in his talent and abilities by the team management after being retained ahead of the 2026 season for INR 8 crore, producing a spectacular match-winning knock of 75 off just 33 balls at an explosive strike rate of nearly 228 against Punjab Kings, who are still fighting for a qualification spot. The innings reflected his commitment to both the game and the franchise, despite MI being mathematically out of the qualification race after a difficult season, with the successful 201-run chase against PBKS marking just their 4th win of the campaign.
Indian domestic cricket great and commentator Wasim Jaffer hailed Tilak for his Player of the Match performance against PBKS, which saw MI overcome the Shreyas Iyer-led side with six wickets in hand. He further backed Tilak to make a name for himself across all three formats, and not just as a T20 specialist, given his technique and ability to adapt quickly according to match conditions.
“I sometimes get surprised that ye woh ladka tha jisko MI ne retired out karya tha (He is the same guy who was retired out by MI). You see how many times he has done it for India and MI. He is an amazing talent and is an all-format player, not just a T20 player. When he gets a chance in the other formats is a different thing, but he is an amazing player with tremendous temperament and skills. The boy is very hardworking, and I like his work ethic,” Jaffer said in a latest video on his YouTube channel.
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“Tilak Varma outshone in that star-studded team”
Jaffer’s remarks carry weight, as Tilak has quickly made a name for himself in the T20 setup for both franchise and country. Since his debut for MI in 2022, he has consistently scored 300-plus runs as a middle-order batter despite being shifted across different batting positions early in his career. He later established himself as a strong anchor at No. 3 and No. 4. Despite the incident where he was retired out after scoring 25 off 23 balls against Lucknow Super Giants in IPL 2025, Tilak has consistently backed his abilities and strong mindset, scoring more than 1800 runs for MI in 66 matches at a strike rate of around 150. For India, he has also become a reliable No. 3 batter, scoring nearly 1400 runs in just 46 innings since his debut against West Indies in 2023.
“He stands out among all these stars. I remember that in his first season, MI had a very terrible season, but he outshone in that star-studded team. Since then, it was clear that this guy has a lot of potential,” added Jaffer.
Tilak is enjoying a strong individual 2026 season for MI despite their struggles as a team, scoring 336 runs so far, including a blistering unbeaten 101 off 45 balls against Gujarat Titans. He has already played a crucial role in India’s T20 World Cup 2026 winning campaign and will now look to break into the ODI setup with the 2027 ODI World Cup on the horizon.