Watch- Suryakumar Yadav openly pulls out swords against Mumbai Indians' management after baffling Tilak Varma moment

In a surprising tactical move, Mumbai Indians (MI) retired out batter Tilak Varma during the IPL 2025 clash against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). Mitchell Santner, who is known for his left-arm spin, replaced Tilak Varma, which left Suryakumar Yadav in confusion and disappointment in the dugout.

Mumbai Indians needed 24 runs off the final seven balls at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow on Friday, April 4. The left-hander, who had scored 25 runs off 23 deliveries, failed to accelerate in the final overs. The management sent Mitchell Santner to score quick runs on the final ball of the penultimate over.

Watch: Mahela Jayawardene Explains Decision to Retire Out Tilak Varma to Suryakumar Yadav

The decision to retire out Tilak Varma sparked confusion from Suryakumar Yadav during the chase. As Tilak returned to the dugout, cameras caught Suryakumar Yadav showing visible frustration and questioning the call using hand gestures.

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Head coach Mahela Jayawardene approached him to explain the reasoning behind the move. Suryakumar appeared unconvinced despite the explanation. Jayawardene later clarified that the decision was purely strategic. The entire exchange was caught on camera and went viral on social media.

Here's the video of the animated discussion between Suryakumar Yadav and Mahela Jayawardene:

Sky sad reaction for Tilak verma when he retired by the management❤❤❤❤❤

L(laund) decission by hardik kaliya🤡#LSGvsMI #HardikPandya #LSGvMI pic.twitter.com/W9FPVUN32q

— pablo sharma 🇮🇳 (@pablo_sharma_) April 4, 2025

Strategic Call to Retire Out: Tilak Varma Fails to Deliver for Mumbai Indians

Mitchell Santner replaced Tilak Varma at the crease with just seven balls remaining and 24 runs needed to win the match. However, the strategy didn’t pay off for them. Santner scored only two runs off two deliveries, including a dot ball on the final delivery when the game was already out of reach.

Tilak became only the fourth player in IPL history to be retired out, joining Ravichandran Ashwin, Atharva Taide, and Sai Sudharsan. Mumbai Indians ended their innings at 191/5, falling 12 runs short of the 204-run target. It’s worth mentioning that it was MI’s third loss in four games this season.

It Was an Obvious Call - Mumbai Indians Captain Hardik Pandya

Mumbai Indians skipper Hardik Pandya later defended the decision to retire out Tilak Varma, calling it an "obvious" call. Hardik said that with boundaries not coming off Tilak’s bat, the team felt a change was necessary.

“I think that was obvious. We needed some hits, and he (Tilak) was not getting (them). As you say in cricket, one of those days when you really want to try but it does not happen," Pandya said.

Suryakumar Yadav entered the crease early after the Mumbai Indians lost two wickets for just 17 runs. He scored 67 runs off 43 balls with nine boundaries and a six. However, Surya was dismissed by a slower delivery from Avesh Khan in the 17th over.

Tilak Varma, who came in as the impact substitute at No. 5, joined the innings after a crucial third-wicket stand between Suryakumar and Naman Dhir. Suryakumar kept the momentum going, but Tilak struggled to keep up with the required run rate.

Following Suryakumar’s dismissal, Tilak was the most experienced batter at the crease in terms of time spent, but couldn't accelerate when it mattered most. His struggles put added pressure on the team during the final overs.

Also read: "Bowling with 85% effort": Mayank Yadav's IPL 2025 arrival date announced