Tilak Varma (Image credit: BCCI/IPL)

NEW DELHI: The celebration, leap, exultation and gesture towards the Mumbai Indians dugout said it all for Tilak Varma as he powered Mumbai Indians to a six-wicket victory over Punjab Kings in their IPL 2026 clash at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala on Thursday.After Punjab Kings posted a competitive 200/8, Tilak came out firing with an unbeaten 75 to help Mumbai Indians – already eliminated from the tournament – chase down the target in style and spoil PBKS’ party. The loss was Punjab Kings’ fifth straight defeat, severely denting their playoff hopes. Tilak, who was named Player of the Match, looked delighted during the post-match presentation. It was his second consecutive half-century of the season, having already scored a century against Gujarat Titans earlier in the tournament.After collecting his second Player of the Match award in IPL 2026, Tilak was asked whether he was enjoying evolving into a finisher’s role.“I always say that I love finishing games, but playing in the World Cup and playing quite a few international games for the country helps me (understand) how to finish games, and you get that experience and confidence. So with that, I think I keep improving my game,” Tilak said after the match.“(Did you make adjustments based on the pitch?) To be honest, we weren’t expecting the wicket to be like this because the ball was (coming on) slightly slow and low, so it was not easy to hit strokes. We saw in the first half how Punjab struggled in the first 15 overs. After that, Azmatullah (Omarzai) and Vishnu (Vinod), the way they played, got them to a good total. But we were thinking that we will take the game as deep as possible. And I was believing in myself that I could do it (finish the game). So I was just holding my shape and backing my basics. I was believing in myself that I’d finish the game,” he said.With 72 needed from the last five overs, Tilak — who had already taken apart the Punjab pacers — showed no mercy to the spinners either.When veteran leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal returned to bowl the 16th over, Tilak launched him for a massive 106m six over long-on. He followed it up with a boundary and another six, taking 20 runs from the over.Tilak later revealed that he had been waiting for one big over, and Chahal unfortunately ended up on the receiving end.“(Was it a plan to attack Yuzi?) To be honest, when we had the second strategy timeout, I was talking to the coach that just one big over and we will finish off the game. Just keep believing in me, I’ll do it for the team. So that’s what I said, and I was just waiting for that one big over. Unfortunately, it came off Yuzi bhai’s (last) over (smiles). But yeah, I’m glad that I finished the game,” Tilak said.Needing 15 off the final over, Tilak wrapped up the chase emphatically with two towering sixes.“(Conversation with Will Jacks?) To be honest, Will’s innings really helped finish the game. The way he played, I just said to him: hold your shape and wait for the slower ones because the ball is flying here. If they bowl quick ones and you blindly swing, if it just hits the bat, it’s going. So wait for that slower one – that’s the only ball we were actually slightly struggling to hit the sixes. So he held his shape well, got a few sixes, and they were under pressure,” he added.Mumbai Indians, already out of the IPL 2026 playoff race, will next face Kolkata Knight Riders on May 20.