Tilak was the star of the show. His 45-ball 101* allowed MI to score a hefty 73 runs in the final four overs and helped them set GT a target of 200. It was Tilak’s first-ever IPL century and included eight fours to go along with seven sixes.

“The kind of talent that Tilak has, he really does not need to worry about a lot,” Hardik said. “So the only message I kept telling him [was that] you gotta watch the ball and hit the ball irrespective of what [it’s doing] because I genuinely believe the [way] the ball travels from his bat is something really special.

“It was about time that he comes and delivers. I think a couple of times, I went so loud that I kind of got dizzy. But it was much needed for the group, it was much needed for Tilak, it was much needed for Mumbai Indians, and as a captain as well that kind of energy to change things around.”

Bumrah rarely bowls the first over, today was the seventh time he’s done it in 151 IPL games and 16 times across 276 T20s. He opened the bowling because MI “really wanted to make an impact with the new ball”.

“It’s quite fascinating,” Hardik said, “I’ve seen a lot of people why Jassi has never bowled but if you see it’s his 138th appearance and I think eight or nine times [seven in 151] Jassi has bowled first over. So, I don’t think it’s a Hardik Pandya problem. It’s just that Jasprit Bumrah is so special that you use him whenever he’s required for the team. Not when you start. But today we realised that we really want to make an impact with the new ball and no one’s better than him.”

The visitors came into Ahmedabad with an unenviable record of 0-4 against GT at the venue. They turned it around with a massive 99-run win and the time it came in made it “special”.

“It’s always challenging to go away and win. But at the same point of time, [playing in] Ahmedabad has been something very tough for us as Mumbai Indians. We just played good cricket and it feels very special because it was much needed.”