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It wasn’t just about the score for the Mumbai Indians in their commanding 99-run win over Gujarat Titans. Captain Hardik Pandya says a smart bowling move in the Narendra Modi Stadium helped seal the result.

Though Tilak Varma hogged the headlines with his maiden IPL hundred, Pandya pinpointed Jasprit Bumrah’s early strike as key.

I would say that, the very start of the game when it comes to GT's chase was something significant. The move to give Jasprit Bumrah the new ball wasn't one which we usually do. But it gave the breakthrough they required and they ended up catching Sai Sudharsan at first delivery.

The milestone man recorded his first IPL wicket in 2026 and this was indeed the 6th match to be played in 2026 season.

 the Mumbai captain said in response to a query:

"I see so many people say 'Why Jassie never bowled'. If you look at 138(151) appearances of Jasprit Bumrah he has bowled the first ball only about 8-9 times. So it's not a Hardik Pandya issue, He is just so special that you use him when needed for the team and not necessarily at the beginning. Today  we realized we need to make an impact with the new ball and no one's better than Bumrah."

The timely wicket of Sai Sudharsan put the Titans on the back foot immediately and they never really recovered as the Mumbai Indians skillfully bowled them out for just 92 runs.

Pandya was particularly pleased with the manner in which his team secured the victory at the difficult Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. "It is never easy to win when you go away from home, Ahmedabad has been a tough one for us as the Mumbai Indians and yeah, we just played some good cricket. The win feels very special as it was needed."

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Before Bumrah's magical bowling Tilak Varma played a gem of a knock scoring 101 and laying the platform for a huge total for Mumbai Indians.

Pandya stated what he told his batsman:

 "I realized that with the talent that Tilak Varma has he does not really have to think that much and that he just needs to go out there and watch the ball and hit the ball. The ball striking from his bat is just extraordinary."

He also added:

"At certain moments when I went very loud even I felt myself becoming dizzy but it was very necessary and the whole team felt motivated. They also supported Tilak Varma when he played brilliantly and that really did a lot for the Mumbai Indians as a team."

The captain highlighted the contribution of young players to the win. He spoke about the debut of Krish and a four-wicket haul by Ashwani Kumar.

He concluded:

 "All the youngsters performed really well, it was exactly what Mumbai Indians as a unit needed. Debutant Krish bowled well and in the right areas. He gave the right intent. Ashwani bowled a brilliant spell with four wickets and changed the momentum for us. Naman too was applauded for his contributions."

This victory will surely be more than just two points for the Mumbai Indians and it might be the turning point for their 2026 IPL season.