Lucknow, April 5, 2025 – In a surprising and tactical move during Friday’s IPL 2025 clash between Mumbai Indians (MI) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), MI opted to retire out middle-order batter Tilak Varma during the 19th over of their run chase. Varma, who had scored 25 runs off 23 balls, was called back to the dugout with just seven balls remaining and 24 runs required.
Tactical Call in High-Stakes Moment
The incident occurred on the fifth ball of the 19th over bowled by Shardul Thakur, a pivotal moment in a tense chase. Mumbai, aiming to overhaul LSG’s challenging 204-run target, needed explosive hitting at the death. Instead of allowing Varma to continue, the team sent in Mitchell Santner in a bid to accelerate the scoring. However, the gamble didn’t pay off as Avesh Khan successfully defended 22 runs in the final over, handing LSG a 12-run victory.
Hardik Pandya Explains the Strategy
Post-match, MI captain Hardik Pandya defended the decision. “It was clear we needed big hits, and Tilak wasn’t quite in rhythm today. Sometimes in cricket, things don’t go your way even if you try your best. Our decision explains itself—we needed a better finisher in that moment,” Pandya stated during the presentation.
The move has sparked debate across the cricketing community, with analysts and fans divided over the strategy. Some praised it as a bold, data-driven decision, while others questioned the morale impact on players.
Not the First Retired Out in IPL
This marked only the fourth instance in IPL history where a batter has been tactically retired out. The trend began in IPL 2022 when Rajasthan Royals’ Ravichandran Ashwin voluntarily retired out during a game against LSG. In 2023, Atharva Taide of Punjab Kings was retired out against Delhi Capitals in Dharamshala, and Sai Sudharsan of Gujarat Titans was called back against MI in Ahmedabad.
The use of “retired out” as a tactical tool continues to evolve in modern T20 cricket, reflecting teams’ growing reliance on real-time analytics and flexible decision-making.
Bhupendra Singh Chundawat is a seasoned technology journalist with over 22 years of experience in the media industry. He specializes in covering the global technology landscape, with a deep focus on manufacturing trends and the geopolitical impact on tech companies. Currently serving as the Editor at Udaipur Kiran, his insights are shaped by decades of hands-on reporting and editorial leadership in the fast-evolving world of technology.