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On Friday, Tilak Varma made a rare and debatable decision in the Indian Premier League (IPL) when he became just the fourth batter in the history of the tournament to be retired out. The southpaw, who was batting on 25 off 23 balls with two fours, walked off the field to make way for Mitchell Santner. This move came at a critical juncture in Mumbai Indians’ (MI) run chase, with the team needing 24 runs off 7 balls.
At the time, Tilak was struggling to accelerate his scoring, and the decision to retire him out was made to give MI a better chance of reaching the target. After the match, MI captain Hardik Pandya addressed the controversial moment, reflecting on the choice. Mumbai ultimately lost the game by 12 runs.
“It was obvious (why Tilak was retired out). We needed some big hits, and sometimes in cricket, despite trying, things don’t come off,” Hardik said, speaking candidly about the situation.
One of the key reasons for MI’s third defeat in four matches was the tight bowling performance by LSG’s leg-spinner, Digvesh Rathi. Rathi conceded just 21 runs in his four overs and claimed the important wicket of Naman Dhir, who had been well-set at 46.
“We fell short as a batting unit,” Hardik admitted. “We win as a team and lose as a team. No one person should be blamed. As a team, we need to take responsibility for this loss. I take full ownership of it.”
He also pointed out some areas where MI could have performed better on the field. “It was disappointing to lose. Honestly, we gave away 10-15 extra runs on that wicket,” Hardik noted.
Despite taking his maiden five-wicket haul in T20 cricket, Hardik’s outstanding individual performance couldn’t save MI from defeat. Reflecting on his bowling, he shared that the team needs to “take better calls, be smart in bowling, and take chances in batting” moving forward.
“I’ve always enjoyed my bowling,” said the all-rounder. “I don’t think I have many options, so I try to read the wicket and make smart decisions. I don’t go for wickets; instead, I focus on bowling dot balls and letting the batters take the risks.”
Hardik emphasized the importance of simplicity and aggression as MI looks to turn their fortunes around. “We just need to play good cricket, keep it simple, and take better calls. We need to be smart in our bowling, take some calculated chances with the bat, and play with aggression. It’s a long tournament, and a couple of wins will help us find our rhythm.”
With several matches still left in IPL 2025, MI will look to bounce back quickly and regain momentum in the competition.
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