IPL 2025: MI coach opens up on bold call to retire out Tilak Varma vs LSG

Mumbai Indians coach Mahela Jayawardene has finally opened up on the bold decision to retire out Tilak Varma for Mitchell Santner in the penultimate over of the chase against Lucknow Super Giants in the 16th match of the IPL 2025 at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow on Friday, April 4.

Jayawardene stated that it was a tactical call as Tilak Varma was struggling to middle the ball. Notably, Varma came into bat as an impact sub in the chase. He could score only 25 runs off 23 balls in the high-scoring chase.

Furthermore, he stated that while Tilak tried to get going, he failed to hit the ball for boundaries. Though the management waited till the final overs, Tilak couldn’t create an impact as Hardik suggested that he retire out. He added that it was purely tactical while stating that it was just a game-based decision. 

"Tilak batted well for us when we lost that wicket and in partnership with Suryakumar. He was trying to get going, but he just couldn't quite get there. We waited till the last few overs, hoping that since he had spent some time in the middle, he'd be able to get the hit out of the way. But he was struggling, and in those moments, you need someone fresh. It's not nice to take someone out like that, but it was a tactical call at that point," said Jayawardene in the post match press conference. 

"It was purely tactical. We're just taking one guy out and bringing another in. Don't read too much into it. just a game-based decision," he added.

Eventually, MI suffered a 12-run defeat to the Lucknow Super Giants. Mumbai Indians will next take on the Royal Challengers Bengaluru on Monday, April 7.

Stay updated with the latest cricket news, match insights, and exclusive updates at BetBarter and download the BetBarter app to start betting today!