Tilak had scored simply 25 (23) within the 204-run chase and was referred to as again within the penultimate over of the match.
The most shocking thing that happened in the sixteenth match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season was that the Mumbai Indians (MI) retired out Tilak Varma. Facing Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at the Ekana Cricket Stadium and needing 24 runs from just 7 balls to win, MI captain Hardik Pandya decided that it was time for another batter to replace Tilak.
Tilak Varma retired out by Hardik Pandya
The 22-year-old is one of the best T20 batters going around, but it wasn’t just his day. Tilak had arrived at number five, instead of his usual four, and struggled from the get-go. Even after facing 18 balls, he wasn’t even striking at 100. So after he’d scored just 25 (23) and MI needed a couple of big hits, Hardik decided Tilak was to go out, and Mitchell Santner came in to replace him.
Hardik didn’t throw him under the bus. He stated that MI had failed as a unit in the match. That wasn’t exactly the case, as Suryakumar Yadav, Naman Dhir, and Hardik himself had batted well. But as many good captains do, back his players and don’t blame anyone.
“As a batting unit, we fell short; don’t want to point out anyone. We win and lose as a team. If we want to take responsibility, we’d take it as a whole unit, and I’ll take ownership. That was obvious; we needed some hits. In cricket, sometimes one of those days comes when you try, but it doesn’t come off (on Tilak retiring). The decision says itself why we did it,” Hardik said after the match.
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WHAT! MI retires struggling Tilak Varma simply earlier than final over in 204-run chase vs LSG
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