Mumbai Indians\’ coach Mahela Jayawardene stated that the choice to retire Tilak Varma was a strategic move since the southpaw batsman was finding it difficult to score during the run chase against Lucknow Super Giants. During the second-last over of the match, MI opted for this daring tactic by removing Tilak from play after he entered as an impact substitute.
Tilak accumulated 25 runs from 23 deliveries.
During the intense pursuit at the Ekana Stadium, Tilak failed to gain any traction as MI fell short by 12 runs. His retirement due to this decision sparked significant backlash, marking him as only the fourth player ever to face such an outcome in IPL history. This led to questions for Jayawardene during the post-game media briefing.
Addressing the press, the MI coach mentioned that although Tilak attempted to start scoring, he struggled to make significant impacts. Jayawardene explained that they held off until the last several overs, anticipating that Tilak might recover after gaining some time at the crease.
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As soon as they recognized that things were not proceeding as intended, Jayawardene stated that they required some new faces in the middle order.
\”When Tilak came in after we lost that wicket, he played rather well alongside Suryakumar. He aimed to build momentum, yet struggled to fully capitalize. As the innings progressed into the final overs, our hope was that his time at bat would allow him to break free from any difficulties. However, as he continued to struggle, what we needed then was a new batsman. While removing him wasn’t ideal, it became a strategic necessity at that juncture,\” explained Jayawardene.
\’Totally strategic, don’t overthink it\’
The MI coach stated that the choice was strictly strategic, and there isn’t much to interpret regarding this decision.
\”It was purely tactical. We\’re just taking one guy out and bringing another in. Don\’t read too much into it-just a game-based decision,\” said Jayawardene.
MI will be next in action against RCB on Monday, April 7.
