Mumbai Indians head coach Mahela Jayawardene revealed that he made the tactical decision to retire Tilak Varma in the penultimate over during their chase against Lucknow Super Giants, where they needed 24 runs off the last seven balls. The decision came after Varma struggled with his batting, scoring 25 runs off 23 balls in pursuit of a 204-run target.
Varma, who came in as an impact player for Mumbai Indians, managed only two boundaries during his stay at the crease. He was retired out to make way for Mitchell Santner.
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The strategic move didn't yield the desired results as Mumbai Indians eventually lost the match by 12 runs. Santner only faced two balls in the final moments of the game.
"I think Tilak batted well for us when we lost that wicket and that partnership with Surya and he just wanted to get going but he just couldn't then," Jayawardene said in the post-match press conference.
"I waited till the last few overs hoping that because he 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," he added.
"When these things happen in cricket and not nice to take him out but I had to do that, it was a tactical decision at that point," Jayawardene further explained.
In the final over, with 22 runs required, captain Hardik Pandya hit a six off the first ball from Avesh Khan. However, Khan recovered well, conceding only three runs in the remaining five deliveries.
Varma, who came in as an impact player for Mumbai Indians, managed only two boundaries during his stay at the crease. He was retired out to make way for Mitchell Santner.
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel.
The strategic move didn't yield the desired results as Mumbai Indians eventually lost the match by 12 runs. Santner only faced two balls in the final moments of the game.
"I think Tilak batted well for us when we lost that wicket and that partnership with Surya and he just wanted to get going but he just couldn't then," Jayawardene said in the post-match press conference.
A nail-biting thriller that goes #LSG's way ✨#MI fall short by 1️⃣2️⃣ runs as Avesh Khan and LSG hold their nerves to secure their 2nd win of the season! #TATAIPL | #LSGvMI | @LucknowIPL pic.twitter.com/4YV2QmtUD0
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 4, 2025
"I waited till the last few overs hoping that because he 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," he added.
"When these things happen in cricket and not nice to take him out but I had to do that, it was a tactical decision at that point," Jayawardene further explained.
Batting at 25 off 23 in the run chase, #TilakVarma retired himself out to make way for Mitchell Santner! 🤯
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) April 4, 2025
Only the 4th time a batter has retired out in the IPL!
Watch LIVE action ➡ https://t.co/nH2UGjQY0t #IPLonJioStar 👉 #LSGvMI, LIVE NOW on Star Sports 1, Star Sports 1… pic.twitter.com/NJ0C0F8MvL
In the final over, with 22 runs required, captain Hardik Pandya hit a six off the first ball from Avesh Khan. However, Khan recovered well, conceding only three runs in the remaining five deliveries.
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