In a dramatic turn of events during the IPL clash between Mumbai Indians and Lucknow Super Giants at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow on Friday, Tilak Varma was asked to retire out by MI captain Hardik Pandya. The decision came in the penultimate over with MI still needing 24 runs off the last seven balls, and Tilak batting on 25 off 23 deliveries.
The 22-year-old became only the fourth player in IPL history to be retired out, a tactical move that immediately drew attention. Having come in at number five during the ninth over, Tilak struggled to find rhythm throughout his innings, often mistiming his shots and failing to accelerate when the team needed it most. Despite spending crucial time in the middle, his inability to up the scoring rate appeared to force the management into making the bold decision.
Mumbai Indians eventually lost the game by 12 runs, and skipper Hardik Pandya owned the outcome in his post-match remarks. He stated, without hesitation, that he takes full responsibility for the loss.
The unconventional tactic, however, did not sit well with several former cricketers. Veterans like Harbhajan Singh and Irfan Pathan voiced their disapproval on social media, questioning the move and its impact on the young batter’s confidence.
Retiring Tilak for Santer was a mistake in my opinion . Is Santner a better hitter than Tilak ? If it was for Pollard or some other accomplished hitter I would have understood . But Don’t agree with this . Come on @mipaltan
— Harbhajan Turbanator (@harbhajan_singh) April 4, 2025
Tilak Verma retired out n Santner coming in? Doesn’t make sense to me. What do you guys think?
— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) April 4, 2025
While strategic retire-outs remain a rare sight in T20 cricket, this instance has reignited conversations around their place in the modern game—especially when the results don’t go as planned.
