IPL 2025: Hardik Pandya gives Lame Excuse for Retiring Out Tilak Varma, MI Embarrass their Own | Opinion

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It was a shocker that the world witnessed at the Ekana Stadium in the IPL 2025 match between Lucknow Super Giants and Mumbai Indians.

Tilak Varma, a well-known batter of MI, was summoned out of the crease by the Mumbai Indians team management as he was struggling to find the middle in the latter overs of the game.

Tilak Varma was retired out during the penultimate over of the chase. MI were chasing 204 and needed 24 runs from the final seven balls when Varma, who was on 25 off 23 balls, walked off to be replaced by Mitchell Santner.

After the match, MI captain Hardik Pandya explained the reasoning for Tilak's embarrassing departure.

"It was obvious that we needed some hits and he was not getting... in cricket, one of those days come when you really try but it does not happen. I think the decision speaks for itself why we did it," Hardik said at the post-match presentation.

But Hardik! That was not the right thing to do! Although collective importance must be preferred over an individual, it was by no means a sane decision from the MI team management. And taking account the quality of the replacement, MI fooled themselves and made a mockery of their own. Why? Well, I can give a plethora of reasons, but let's just stick with the fundamental ones.

A Set Batter Factor and Mitchell Santner?

Tilak was already set at the crease with 25 runs off 23 balls. Even though he wasn't striking big, a batter who's spent time in the middle typically has a better read of the pitch and bowlers compared to a new batter walking in cold - especially in a pressure situation.

Swapping him for a player like Santner, who hadn't faced a ball yet, was dumb. Santner's career strike rate in the IPL? 106.32 across 14 innings!

A Negative Message to Tilak Varma

Retiring Out a young player like Tilak Varma in such a high-profile game could dent his confidence. While it's a tactical decision, it is perceived as a public vote of no-confidence, especially when done during a clutch moment. The MI team management won't have any shortage of excuses, but their sudden no confidence in such a potent player was baffling, to say the least.

Was Tilak Varma struggling? Yes, indeed he was! But removing a top-order batter who has represented India when he is amid a struggle is not the proper advertisement. And it raises a lot of questions.

Does the Mumbai Indians management have no hope in a player whom they retained ahead of the Mega Auction? What was the reason for their sudden desire to embarrass an India player in front of the world? What was the reason for introducing a player as a replacement who was denied singles by the MI skipper Hardik Pandya?

Hardik Pandya's Last Over Tactics - An Utter Mess

Hardik hit a six in the very first ball of the final over but then managed on three runs in the next four deliveries. The Mumbai skipper also refused to give strike to Mitchell Santner, who was ludicrously the replacement of Tilak. After messing up the last over, the Mumbai captain threw his younger teammate under the bus at the post-match presentation, albeit he had to do it to save the faces of Mahela Jayawardene and company.

And speaking of Hardik, the MI skipper himself struggled to find the fence and played out three consecutive singles in the penultimate over as well. Although he was striking much better, in the end, the effort was not good enough.

It is a double whammy in the end, not for Tilak but for the entire Mumbai management. They made a mockery of their strategy in the first place and then embarrassed their own player in front of the world. Hopefully, Tilak Varma will be amongst runs and be at his devastating self, but MI leave a dark mark in their IPL 2025 journey.