Tilak Verma Retired Out: “I had to do this …” Mahela Jayawardene told why Mumbai retires Tilak Verma
Mahela jayawardene reaction on tilak varma retiring out: During the match between Lucknow Super Giants and Mumbai Indians on Friday in Ekana, Lucknow, quite exciting. Chasing the target, Mumbai Indians needed 24 runs to win the last 7 balls, but then Tilak Verma started returning to the pavilion. The fans did not understand anything, but in a short time the picture became completely clear. Mumbai Management decided to call its explosive batsman back to the pavilion on this important occasion.
Tilak was playing 25 runs in 23 balls. However, he had tried to play some big shots, but he was not able to connect properly. In such a situation, Tilak returned after retiring. After this Mitchell Santner came to the crease. In the last over, the strike was with Hardik and the ball in the hands of Avesh Khan. Avesh Khan defended 22 runs in 6 balls and won his team.
The decision to retire Tilak Verma was beyond comprehension of many veterans. However, Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya defended the decision. Speaking after the match, Hardik said, “It was clear that we needed some hits and were not getting it. Cricket comes when you really try but it does not. It does not happen. I think the decision itself tells why we did this.”
After Mumbai’s defeat, when the team’s head coach Mahela Jayawardene came in front of the media, he was asked the same question and he not only defended the decision and he was seen coming down in support of captain Hardik.
Mumbai Indians head coach Jayawardene said that it was a difficult but tactical decision. Jayawardene said, “I think Tilak had done well when we had lost that wicket and partnership with Surya and he just wanted to move forward but he could not do it and he waited for the last few overs as he spent some time there.”
Jayawardene further said, “He should have been able to dismiss the hit. But, in the end, I just needed a new player and when such things happened in cricket, he was struggling. It was not good to take him out but I had to do so, it was a tactical decision at that time.”
This is the opportunity of a batsman retiring out in the IPL. Ravichandran Ashwin was the first player to retire in 2022 playing for Rajasthan Royals. Incidentally, he also took place against LSG in Mumbai. In the 2023 season, PBKS retired at Atharva Taade against Delhi Capitals in Dharamshala and Gujarat Titans did so with Sai Sudarshan against Mumbai Indians in Ahmedabad.
