MUMBAI: A major talking point during Mumbai Indians’ 12-run defeat to the Lucknow Super Giants at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow on Friday night in IPL-2025 was the fact that MI retired out their India batter Tilak Varma in the closing stages of the match. In a decision which has triggered a debate and even a controversy-fans on social media are enraged- the left-hander, who has scored two T20I hundreds, was asked to return to the dugout in the penultimate over of a 204-run chase, after coming on as an ‘Impact Player’ making 25 off 23 balls.
When Tilak left the field, MI needed 24 off seven balls with five wickets in hand. The visitors eventually couldn’t cross the line, though.
TOI has learnt that the decision, which seems harsh on the face of it on the talented batter, was purely taken as Tilak is suffering from a niggle in a finger.
“He has a finger injury in his left hand (bottom hand). That’s why he was called back to the dugout. Due to the injury, he wasn’t able to hit with power. This is exactly the reason why he played as an Impact Player. There are otherwise no doubts in the team over Tilak’s hitting ability,” a reliable source tracking the developments told TOI on Saturday. Tilak replaced wrist spinner Vignesh Puthur when MI batted.
In his post-match press conference, MI head coach Mahela Jayawardene said it had been his decision to retire Tilak out. “He just wanted to get going but he couldn’t. [We] waited till the last few overs, hoping that [he would find his rhythm], because he had spent some time there so he should have been able to get that hit out of the way, but I just felt that at the end, I just needed someone fresh to go, and he was struggling. These things happen in cricket. Not nice to take him out but I had to do that, it was a tactical decision at that point,” Jayawardene said.
When Tilak walked out to bat, MI were on track at 86 for three after 8.1 overs. Tilak put on 66 off 48 balls with Suryakumar Yadav (67 off 43 balls) for the fourth wicket, but while Suryakumar contributed 46 off 30 to the partnership, Tilak struggled for fluency, managing to score just 17 off 18 balls.
MI captain Hardik Pandya (28 not out off 16 balls), who took his maiden fiver (5-36) in T20 cricket earlier in the match, was at the other end when they took the decision to retire Tilak.
“I think that was obvious. We needed some hits, and he was not [able to get them]. Sometimes in cricket one of those days comes, when you really want to try but it does not happen, but the decision [speaks for] itself, why we did it,” ,” Hardik told the broadcasters after the match.
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