IPL 2025: Not Hardik Pandya! Mahela Jayawardene Takes Blame for Tilak Varma’s Shocking Retired Out Call
Mahela Jayawardene revealed that it was his tactical decision to retire out Tilak Varma.
The 16th match of IPL 2025 between Mumbai Indians and Lucknow Super Giants turned out to be a thriller, but not without controversy. Chasing a big target of 204 runs, Mumbai Indians fell short by 12 runs and finished at 191/5 in 20 overs. The match was intense, but one moment in particular left fans stunned—Tilak Varma being retired out in the 19th over when the team still needed quick runs.
Tilak Varma had scored 25 runs from 23 balls at a strike rate of just over 108. He struggled to time the ball and was finding it difficult to hit boundaries. With the pressure building and the required run rate climbing, he was called back and Mitchell Santner was sent in to bat. Fans assumed it was Hardik Pandya’s decision, but a video clip that surfaced later confirmed otherwise.
Mumbai Indians’ Head Coach Mahela Jayawardene has now cleared the air, saying it was entirely his call. According to Mahela, they noticed Tilak was struggling and decided to bring in someone fresh who could play big shots straight away. He termed it a “tactical decision” to try and win the match. However, this move has left fans divided, with many showing anger and frustration over such a big call being taken at a crucial stage of the match.
