IPL 2025: Why did Tilak Varma retire out during Mumbai Indians chase against LSG? - Reason Explained

Tilak-Varma-and-Suryakumar-Yadav. (Photo Source: IPL)

Mumbai Indians (MI) suffered a gut-wrenching 12-run defeat in their most recent (IPL 2025) fixture against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow, on Friday, April 4.

In an interesting turn of events, Tilak Varma decided to retire out in the penultimate over of the match, as MI were in pursuit of a 204-run target. Mumbai needed 24 runs to win off the last seven balls when Tilak walked off the field as Mitchell Santner rushed into the centre. The New Zealand all-rounder took a couple of runs off the last ball of the 19th over, leaving 22 runs to get off the last six balls with five wickets in the bank.

Avesh Khan conceded a six off the first delivery as Hardik Pandya hit him deep extra cover with elan. However, the right-arm pacer showed nerves of steel under pressure and conceded just three runs off the last five balls. A sensational performance from the bowling unit at the death helped LSG win their second match of the season.

However, Tilak's retired out has turned out to be one of the major talking points from the encounter. The southpaw struggled to find his timing in an innings which yielded 25 runs off 23 balls. Some experts debated whether it was the right call for a set and talented batter to make way for a new batter, who is more of a bowling all-rounder. One boundary might have helped Tilak to turn the tide in his favour. Others argued that MI needed to make the tough call as time was running out for them.

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Tilak became only the fourth batter to be retired out in the IPL. Ravichandran Ashwin, Atharva Taide, and Sai Sudharsan are the others who had retired themselves out in previous editions of the cash-rich league.

Retired out in the IPL:

• R Ashwin vs LSG, Wankhede, 2022
• Atharva Taide vs DC, Dharamshala, 2023
• Sai Sudharsan vs MI, Ahmedabad, 2023
• Tilak Varma vs LSG, Lucknow, 2025
  

After the defeat, MI skipper Hardik explained the decision. He said that batters have some days where nothing goes in their favour. The Baroda all-rounder also said that the team needed some hits and that is why they thought of brining in a new batter in place of Tilak.

"We needed some hits. In cricket, some of those days come. When you try but it doesn't come off," the 31-year-old said while speaking to the official broadcaster.