WHAT! MI retires struggling Tilak Varma just before last over in 204-run chase vs LSG

Mumbai Indians (MI) retired out Tilak Varma after he struggled to make 25 off 23.

The Mumbai Indians (MI) management did something out of the ordinary. Was it really needed? Well, that’s a different case. The Mahela Jayawerdene-coached side retired out Tilak Varma when the situation got extremely tough at the backend of the 204-run chase against the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG).

Tilak’s retiring out adds drama to LSG vs MI clash

Tilak was struggling massively on a two-paced Ekana deck that was holding up a bit. He made a painstaking 25 off 24 and was largely controlled by the LSG spinners. Coming to bat at number five, Tilak was a bit timid in his approach. While Suryakumar Yadav was batting aggressively at one end, the southpaw was struggling to time the ball.

At number five, Tilak’s record has been superb. Prior to this innings, he made 545 runs at an average of 45.42 and at a strike rate of almost 140. However, it wasn’t the day for a special player, who was retained by MI for Rs 8 crore. Fascinatingly, when MI needed 24 off the last 7 balls, Tilak Varma retired himself out, becoming only the fourth batter to do so in IPL history.

It was quite a surprising decision by the Mumbai management as the batter replaced Tilak was Mitchell Santner. He may be no mug with the bat but the Kiwi international isn’t known to be a hard-hitter in the game. Even he managed to take a double of the last ball of the penultimate over bowled by Shardul Thakur.

What did Pandya say on Tilak’s exit?

“That was obvious, we needed some hits, in cricket sometimes one of those days come when you try but it doesn’t come off. The decision says itself why we did it (retire Tilak Varma out),” said Hardik Pandya in the post-match interview.

Even Pandya wasn’t hitting every ball out of the ground as MI succumbed to LSG’s superb bowling. The visitors needed 24 off the last over and the MI skipper did hit a six towards the off side. However, that was it. Avesh darted in yorkers gleefully, and LSG won their 3rd consecutive match over MI.

The latter half of the 2nd innings got LSG over the line. While MI wasn’t losing wickets but the required run-rate was soaring over after over. In the first 11 overs, Mumbai hammered 111 at 10.1 per over. However, the last 9 overs, when MI actually needed 93 runs, were able to muster just 80 runs, and that’s where the game went towards the hosts.

Batters to retire out in the IPL