IPL 2026: ‘Just like Triple H’- Ashwin’s wild WWE comparison for Hardik Pandya goes viral
Tilak Varma's maiden IPL century, a blistering 101 off 45 balls, powered Mumbai Indians to a vital win. Ravichandran Ashwin lauded the innings as one of the best he's seen, highlighting Hardik Pandya's mid-pitch encouragement as a key motivator. Varma's aggressive display against a strong attack and Mumbai's late surge sealed the victory.
Tilak Varma announced himself in emphatic fashion with his maiden IPL century, an innings that not only powered Mumbai Indians to a crucial win but also drew high praise from Ravichandran Ashwin. Chasing momentum after a difficult run, Mumbai found their spark through Tilak’s unbeaten 101 off just 45 balls against Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad. While the knock itself stood out, Ashwin highlighted the influence of skipper Hardik Pandya during the partnership, pointing to his animated mid-pitch conversations with Tilak as a key factor in shifting the energy of the innings.
“Hardik Pandya was talking to him (Tilak Varma) while batting, he motivated him, he did it like how we see in WWF (WWE). Just like Triple H used to do with water. So whatever Hardik Pandya said and did worked for Tilak Varma,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.
Though Hardik wasn’t the primary aggressor, his presence and encouragement appeared to play a role in keeping Tilak locked in. From there, the young left-hander took charge, dismantling a quality bowling attack and turning the game decisively in Mumbai’s favour. Ashwin was particularly struck by the standard of the innings, placing it among the finest he has witnessed in the IPL.
“This is easily one of the best IPL hundreds that I have seen. To take down Ashok Sharma, Prasidh Krishna, Rashid Khan, and Mohammed Siraj on this pitch, it was probably one of the best IPL hundreds that I have ever seen,” he said on his YouTube channel. The context made the effort even more impressive.