‘One of the best I’ve seen’: Jayawardene reserves high praise for Tilak for his maiden IPL ton

New Delhi: Mumbai Indians (MI) head coach Mahela Jayawardene lauded his side’s all-round execution while also dubbing Tilak Varma’s century ‘one of the best’ that he has ever seen after their emphatic 99-run victory over Gujarat Titans (GT).

Reflecting on the innings that was built around a late surge, Jayawardene admitted the side had been under pressure early on. “We were in trouble, but we dug ourselves from that, (we were) patient, and batted really well to get that score,” he said in a video shared by the franchise, pointing to the composure shown by the middle order after early setbacks.

The turnaround was powered by a stunning counterattack, particularly from Tilak Varma, whose maiden IPL century lifted MI to a formidable total. Jayawardene did not hold back in his praise for the young batter’s knock. “We had a couple of big overs. Tilak, one of the best I’ve seen!” he remarked.

The MI coach also credited the contributions with the ball, especially the early breakthroughs that set the tone for defending the total. He singled out the effort of young pacer Krish Bhagat while acknowledging the impact of returning seamer Ashwani Kumar. “Krish (Krish Bhagat), brilliant effort up front. Ash (Ashwani Kumar), coming back to the team, well done,” he noted, as MI’s bowlers dismantled the GT batting line-up.

Jayawardene further emphasised the importance of fielding in sealing such a comprehensive win, particularly on a large outfield. “Probably the best fielding effort from the unit on a big ground,” he said, crediting the team’s intensity and discipline in the field.

Stressing consistency as the key going forward, the former Sri Lankan captain urged his players to maintain the same standards in upcoming matches. “The standard is something that you guys set as well… the way MI plays, that’s a standard. So let’s do that, we need to keep repeating that energy, we need to bring to each and every game,” he concluded.

IANS