The Arun Jaitley Stadium saw a dramatic moment during the 29th match of IPL 2025 as the Mumbai Indians traveled to play the Delhi Capitals in a tight fight. Delhi chose to bowl and Mumbai openers started aggressively, being headed by Ryan Rickelton's 41 from 25 deliveries. The South African left-handed batsman played the ball sweetly, setting the pace early on, before being foxed by a traditional Kuldeep Yadav googly.

As the innings went on, Mumbai appeared to be in command. Tilak Varma, who walked in after the loss of a few wickets, stole the initiative with a positive mindset. He attacked the DC bowlers and started to pick up steam when the turning point of the innings almost came in the 13th over.

ALSO SEE: [WATCH] IPL 2025: Axar Patel's acrobatic effort saves a certain six against MI in match number 29

Costly Confusion in the Outfield

Vipraj Nigam, the left-arm bowler, floated one away outside off to Varma, who tried to slog it out over long-on. What ought to have been a routine catch was turned into a comic-tragic situation. Tristan Stubbs and Jake Fraser-McGurk were rushing in towards the ball, Stubbs from long-on and McGurk coming from deep midwicket. The South African slowed down because he was nervous about colliding with his Aussie mate mid-pitch. That moment’s delay left him mispositioned, and despite stretching for the catch, he spilled it. To make matters worse, the ball trickled over the ropes for four, rubbing salt into Delhi’s wounds. While DC’s fielding faltered, their spin duo held firm. Kuldeep Yadav was impressive again, dismissing both Rickelton and Suryakumar Yadav (40 off 28), while Nigam accounted for key wickets of former skipper Rohit Sharma and current skipper Hardik Pandya.

ALSO SEE: Watch: Ashutosh Sharma and Mukesh Kumar Involved in unfortunate collision during DC vs MI match in IPL 2025

Even with their batting depth, MI are struggling in IPL 2025. With just one win from five matches and being ninth in the table, each match is a do-or-die encounter. DC, by contrast, have four wins and are as close to unbeaten as anyone can possibly be and look like a serious title contender.

Stubbs' missed chance may not hurt DC on the scoreboard today, but these moments tend to swing momentum in T20 cricket, and Delhi will hope it does not come back to bite them.

Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif has raised questions about the growing use of the ‘retired out’ tactic in the IPL, saying it seems more like an act of frustration than a smart move. He made these remarks after Chennai Super Kings retired out opener Devon Conway during their match against Punjab Kings in Mullanpur on Tuesday in IPL 2025.

Devon Conway was batting well and had scored 69 runs off 49 balls, but he walked off in the 18th over as CSK chased a big target of 220. Ravindra Jadeja came in with 49 runs still needed from just 13 balls. The plan didn’t work, and CSK lost the match by 18 runs. This wasn’t the first time this season a team tried this. Earlier, Mumbai Indians retired out Tilak Varma during a game against Lucknow Super Giants and they ended up losing too.

Teams using retired out option more out of frustration. it is a tactic that rarely works as there are very few batters who can hit a 6 on first ball they face. Most times it is the struggling batsman on crease who has a better chance of winning the game. Remember Tewatia, he hit…

— Mohammad Kaif (@MohammadKaif) April 9, 2025

ALSO READ: Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Delhi Capitals (RCB vs DC): Match 24, IPL 2025, Match Preview

Kaif shared his thoughts on twitter, saying, “Teams are using the retired out option more out of frustration. It rarely works because very few players can hit a six on the first ball they face. Often, even a struggling batter who’s already set might have a better chance. Remember Tewatia? He had scored only 8 from 19 balls, but then smashed 5 sixes in one over.” Kaif’s comments have once again started a debate on whether the retired out tactic is a clever strategy or just a desperate move when things aren’t going well.

IPL's third week has been wholesome of entertainment where we have seen a lot of entertaining matches, Teams with high stakes of players are seen to be struggling and the teams with a correct core of balance are playing a good game. There have been some controversial decisions too which have changed the course of matches too. One such match was played between Mumbai Indians(MI) Vs Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) which was played at Ekana Stadium. 
It was the match that Mumbai Indians had in their hands until Surya Kumar Yadav and Tilak Varma were playing but there was a twist ahead where Surya's wicket changed the momentum a lot which added the pressure, where Tilak couldn't able to time the ball well and was declared retired out in place of Mitchell Santner. 

Read More: Pat Cummins's late six against Ishant Sharma moves SRH above 150

The Game Of Twist And Turns
 It was match number16 which was played between Lucknow Super Giants(LSG) vs Mumbai Indians (MI), MI won the toss and elected to field first, Lucknow had a great start with Mitchell Marsh and Aiden Makram giving a very good start, but they couldn't capitalise the start provided and tend to lose wickets at regular intervals which stormed the breaks to the innings which were cruising like a plan. However, LSG posted a total of 203 runs with the loss of 8 wickets. 
Despite losing wickets in the middle LSG posted a tough total for Mumbai Indians. Though MI too were ready for the chase as they were confident of their last win. But the start was not the idle one that MI thought as they lost their openers cheaply, Naman Dhir and Surya were controlling the innings, but when they both were done it was just lost in control which just changed the course of the match. 
Tilak Varma Digs A Big Statment
 It all started after Naman Dhir's wicket, where Tilak Varma came as an impact substitute but from the start, his timing was just missing, dealing in singles though he tried for a long ranger but he could only find the fielders. After Surya was gone it was their sole, responsibility of Tilak to finish the match as he was the main man there, but what followed next was shocking when he was given retired at the end of the 19th over which created a backlash and it was Santner who was replacing him. 

Mumbai Indians Name Removed From Bio of Tilak Varma👀 pic.twitter.com/N5kswszdP2

— 𝐑𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐢𝐢⁴⁵ (@rushiii_12) April 5, 2025

After Akash Madhwal now Tilak Verma removed “Mumbai Indians” from the Instagram bio.😂🔥

कट्टर रोहित शर्मा समर्थक @TilakV9 !! pic.twitter.com/VXLxRoWTwN

— ` (@R0hitinveins) April 5, 2025

Though Mumbai Indians lost the match despite that effort but strangled controversies on them. Even though they faced backlash everywhere on social media, ow they justified replacing Tilak with Mitchell Santner who is not known for hitting abilities. It tangled reports, that the decision was taken by head coach Jayawardene who claimed it was a tactical decision. After days of the match, Tilak Varma also removed the Mumbai Indian's name from his Instagram bio which little bit hinted that he was clearly disappointed with that act. It's been profiled he may get into next year's auction. 

It is been a hard runway for Mumbai Indians where a match that was in their hands slipped away from them due to a series of incidents. It was match number 16 of the TATA IPL played between Mumbai Indians vs Lucknow Super Giants where the toss was won by Hardik Pandya who chose to bowl first. LSG within their 20 overs scored 203 runs with loss of 8 wickets. LSG had the same problem that they had in the last three matches. 

Their starts were wasted by upcoming batsmen which ultimately ended in the edge of scores, but yesterday's order batsmen contributed quite well despite their upper-order failure with their captain Rishabh Pant who had a poor outing with bat this season. It was decent ideal score for LSG to defend the target against Mumbai. Though MI had a good outing against SRH that confidence would have boosted them to up for the chase. 

Read More: 3 Players who can replace Injured Rohit Sharma in MI squad
Series Of Incidents
 When MI entered the chase they already lost their openers in quick succession. Though Naman Dhir and Surya Kumar Yadav handled the toughest phase of the game and came out of it, where MI was cruising over victory suddenly wicket of Naman Dhir changed the scenario for the Paltans. After the wicket of Naman, there came Tilak Varma who kept on struggling with his timing which was affecting the required run rate. 
As soon the run rate jumped up with every dot ball Tilak Varma played it put additional pressure on Surya though he was in his zone. But he too got out making a well-made 66 and carrying it to Hardik Pandya. Then suddenly after the final time out Tilak Varma decided to retire and Mitchell Santner came in place. This move too didn't give the desired effect where MI lost the game by 12 runs. 
Coach Jayawardene Took The Bold Decision
Tilak Varma came in as an impact player for the MI team but he couldn't go as was clearly seen, after the match, there was a high debate about whose decision was to remove Tilak Verma where Hardik Pandya's name came around and he was trolled for that. But after that coach Jayawardene spelled that it was his tactical move to remove struggling Tilak Varma. 

Batting at 25 off 23 in the run chase, #TilakVarma retired himself out to make way for Mitchell Santner! 🤯

Only the 4th time a batter has retired out in the IPL!

Watch LIVE action ➡ https://t.co/nH2UGjQY0t #IPLonJioStar 👉 #LSGvMI, LIVE NOW on Star Sports 1, Star Sports 1… pic.twitter.com/NJ0C0F8MvL

— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) April 4, 2025

Look, it was solely my decision to remove Tilak Varma, I think Tilak batted well for us when we lost that wicket and that partnership with Surya and he just wanted to get going but he just couldn't then," Jayawardene said in the post-match press conference."I waited till the last few overs hoping that because he spent some time there so he should have been able to get that hit out of the way but I just felt that at the end I just needed someone fresh to go and he was struggling, when these things happen in cricket field it's not not nice to remove that person, but it was a tactical decision at that point of time and it didn't work. 

The Indian Premier League (IPL) is famous not only for exciting matches, good players, etc., but also for some moves that transform the game away from traditional performance. One great example is the tactical "retired out," in which a batter is dismissed without injury voluntarily as a result of a strategy to replace the batter with a different batter that makes sense from the context of the match.

1. Ravichandran Ashwin - Rajasthan Royals vs. LSG, 2022

Ashwin still wrote himself into the history books a little during IPL 2022, as he became the first player to be retired out. In this example, Rajasthan Royals chose to take Ashwin off in a match against Lucknow Super Giants in the 19th over so they could send in a more aggressive batter for the end-game thrust. Aside from shocking the vast majority, it opened some new strategic doors in the IPL.

Also Read: IPL 2025: 3 players who can replace Rishabh Pant as LSG captain

2. Atharva  Taide - Punjab Kings vs. DC, 2023

Punjab Kings retired Atharva after he made 26 in IPL 2023. Taide is making an impact on the field against Delhi Capitals. While he was consistently able to provide the foundation with the bat, he often couldn’t raise the pace in bursts when the side needed an influx of runs all of a sudden. His team management further decided to remove him from play for the duration, emphasizing that this “retired out” option was not merely a one-off response.

3. Sai Sudharsan - GT vs. MI, 2023

The second instance, well on the verge of becoming a trend, came in the same season when Gujarat Titans employed tactical retirement to retire out Sai Sudharsan against Mumbai Indians. It was a smart gamble to add a known playoff sniper and represented that franchises were willing to get aggressive and take chances, even with their growing young core.

Also Read: IPL 2025: SRH vs GT - A Head to Head breakdown

4. Tilak Varma - Mumbai Indians vs. LSG, 2025

It doesn’t stop here; the further names you could be adding to this list as of right now are Tilak Varma and IPL 2025. Mumbai Indians made the shocking call in their game against Lucknow Super Giants, inarguably overshadowing another show of personnel over strategy far too often seen in today’s game.

Retired outs in the IPL are fast becoming a not-so-trendy new black mark-added trend in waiting. With the search to extend the margins and find any edge possible, teams aren’t leaving any stone unturned, and “retired out” might just be the sharpest new tool in the league’s strategic playbook.

Tilak Varma IPL 2025: A schoking decision by the Mumbai Indians to retire out Tilak Varma to put Mitchell Santner on the field at a moment when they badly need someone who could hit hard and take the team to the finishing line. Former international Mohammad Kaif explains why this was an unwise decision, which only helped the Mumbai Indians to lose the match. 

Read More: LSG vs MI, IPL 2025: Why is Tilak Varma Retired Out? Was it the Right Decision?

Last night (April 5) it was a rare scene in the Indian Premier League—a batter, who is capable of hitting big, was retiring out only to be replaced by a full-time spinner who can add some runs on the scoreboard at the 18.5 over of the match. How can this make sense? Cricket fans and pundits are raising questions. Then, the question was pretty legal, 'Why did the Mumbai Indians replace Tilak Verma and send Mitchell Santner?" The question turns into a controversy like a wildfire as Mumbai Indians fail to chase down the target given by Lucknow Super Giants. 

Was retiring Tilak for Santner a Mistake?#ipl #mumbaiindians pic.twitter.com/akwBEcNdLX

— Mohammad Kaif (@MohammadKaif) April 4, 2025

Batting first, LSG scored 203 runs for 8 wickets at the Ekana Cricket Stadium. According to Mohammad Kaif, "Ekana Stadium is not a small stadium, and scoring 200-plus runs in this ground is not an easy task to do, but Lucknow Super Giants have done it. I think, in this match, Mumbai Indians bowlers could do a better job and halt the opponent to a relatively lower score, which they failed to do." 

Mumbai's batting 

During the chase of the target, MI's openers went back into the hut without making a notable impact on the scoreboard before Naman Dhir and Suryakumar Yadav played 46 and 67-run innings, respectively. If the Mumbai-based franchise continued this momentum, then they could've easily chased down the total. After Dhir and Kumar, it was all on captain Hardik Pandya and Tilak Varma's back. Pandya remained not out with 28 runs in 16 balls, and Varma was replaced at 18.5 overs when he was batting at 25 off 23 deliveries. Santner, who replaced Varma, scored only 2 in 2 balls before the match was summed off. 

Kaif explains why replacing Varma was a wrong call

Kaif said in a video, "Tilak Varma could be the possible man who has the ability to chase down the target from this situation. But Mitchell Santner? Maybe he had hit some sixes before, but not some who can drive the momentum. It was clearly a wrong decision by the Mumbai Indians. Even Hardik Pandya hesitated to put Santner on strike."

During the IPL 2025 match against the hosts Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) last Friday night (April 4), Mumbai Indians (MI) were forced to retire out Tilak Varma in desperation for the victory. 

After MI captain Hardik Pandya chose to field first, LSG scored 203/8. At the same time, MI skipper Hardik Pandya created history by becoming the first captain to record a fifer in the IPL (5/36). This was also Pandya's first five-wicket haul in T20s. Despite that, the hosts managed to put a big total thanks to two powerful half-centuries from the openers, Mitchell Marsh (60) and Aiden Markram (53). 

Tilak Varma was retired out 

In reply, MI batters Naman Dhir (46) and Suryakumar Yadav (67) brilliantly put the visitors back in the big chase. However, Tilak Varma struggled in the chase, as MI were stuck in the process. Varma scored 25 off 23 balls with only two fours, and desperate MI finally decided to retire him out when they required 24 more runs in seven balls. 

Mitchell Santner replaced retired-out Varma. Although captain Hardik Pandya fought hard, with 28 not out off 16 balls, MI lost the match by 12 runs. This means that the retired-out decision was too late for the five-time IPL champions. 

Later, the MI head coach Mahela Jayawardene confirmed that he recalled Tilak Varma, by calling it a tactical decision. He further added, "It's like a football situation where the manager substitutes a player in the closing stages. Cricket is exploring new grounds. Interesting and exciting."

See Also: Twitter reactions after Lucknow Super Giants second win of IPL 2025

Difference between Retired - not out and Retired - out

‘Retired - not out’, which is commonly known as “retired hurt”, and ‘Retired - out’ are two different terms in the game. Both have been clearly mentioned in the MCC law. 

• According to 25.4.2, “If a batter retires because of illness, injury or any other unavoidable cause, that batter is entitled to resume his/her innings. If for any reason, this does not happen, that batter is to be recorded as ‘Retired - not out’.”

However, ‘Retired - out’ is different than the common “retired hurt”.

• The MCC law 25.4.3 claims, “If a batter retires for any reason other than as in 25.4.2, the innings of that batter may be resumed only with the consent of the opposing captain. If for any reason his/her innings is not resumed, that batter is to be recorded as ‘Retired - out’.”

List of players Retired - out in IPL so far

Tilak Varma wasn’t the first batter to record ‘Retired - out’ in IPL history. In the IPL 2022, Ravichandran Ashwin was trending after becoming the first cricketer in IPL history to record it. Varma was the fourth batter in IPL history to be involved in the ‘Retired - out’.

• Ravichandran Ashwin (Rajasthan Royals): 28 runs off 23 balls – vs Lucknow Super Giants (IPL 2022)

• Atharva Taide (Punjab Kings): 55 runs off 42 balls – vs Delhi Capitals (IPL 2023)

• Sai Sudharsan (Gujarat Titans): 43 runs off 31 balls – vs Mumbai Indians (IPL 2023)

• Tilak Varma (Mumbai Indians): 25 runs off 23 balls – vs Lucknow Super Giants (IPL 2025)
  

The 2025 IPL season features another thrilling match listed on the schedule as the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) face off against the Mumbai Indians (MI) in Match 16 held at the Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow. The game might be decided by three players:

1. Nicholas Pooran (LSG)

This season has been a great one for the West Indies stumper-batsman. In just three matches, he has amassed 189 with a stunning strike rate of 220. He is very aggressive and also a great finisher, there by becoming indispensable for LSG. Pooran who played an efficient 67-run knock off 31 balls in the last game, has been their biggest weapon to set them on a winning path. His fight against MI’s bowlers will be a crucial one.

Also Read: Mumbai Indians Playing 11 vs Lucknow Super Giants IPL 2025 Match 16

2. Ashwani Kumar (MI)

Youthful bowler of Mumbai Indians, Ashwani Kumar, has taken everyone by surprise this season. The 23-year-old was fantastic in his debut IPL game against Kolkata Knight Riders, ending up with 4 wickets for 24 runs in just three overs. His natural speed, the swing, and the deceptive action have so far made him MI’s lead bowler. His skill, if maintained, would bring trouble to the LSG’s batting lineup, particularly in the powerplay.

Also Read: LSG VS MI : Match 16 Weather and Pitch Report – IPL 2025

3. Tilak Varma (MI)

Tilak Varma is the most stable batter for Mumbai Indians in the ongoing season of the league. In the last three games, his brilliant cushion of 45, 72, and 39 runs propelled the team to a strike rate above 150. The young lad’s ability to steer the innings and sometimes, if the need arises, to fire off a quickfire inning makes him one of the most valuable middle-order batsmen for MI. When faced with the ace bowlers of LSG, his anchoring role will be most needed.

Given that these three players are on top of their game, the LSG vs MI showdown will be quite exciting, full of runs and absolutely breathtaking.

Jacob Duffy Becomes No. 1 T20I Bowler, Hardik Pandya Stays on Top as No. 1 All-Rounder

New Zealand fast bowler Jacob Duffy has climbed to the No. 1 spot in the ICC T20I bowling rankings after his brilliant performance in the 4-1 series win against Pakistan. Duffy was in top form, taking 13 wickets in the series to finish as the leading wicket-taker against Pakistan. His consistent efforts helped him to top the bowlers like Akeal Hosein, Wanindu Hasaranga, Adil Rashid, and Varun Chakravarthy.

The 30-year-old had already moved up to joint-fifth last week and continued his rise as the series progressed. His teammate Ben Sears also made a big jump, moving up 21 places to secure the 46th spot. In the batting rankings, Tim Seifert equaled his career-best ranking of eighth after a stunning knock of 97* off 38 balls in the final T20I, which helped New Zealand win by eight wickets. Finn Allen also gained a spot and is now ranked 15th, while Mark Chapman’s solid performances lifted him 24 places to 78th. Among Pakistani players, Salman Agha jumped six spots to 37th after scoring a crucial 58 in the series.

ALSO READ: MS Dhoni Trends Again! Twitter Reactions to IPL 2025’s Most Talked-About Player

Hardik Pandya Still the No. 1 All-Rounder

India’s star all-rounder Hardik Pandya continues to dominate the T20I all-rounders’ rankings with 252 rating points. Among Indian bowlers, Varun Chakravarthy has slipped to third place in the ICC rankings with 706 rating points. Ravi Bishnoi (674) and Arshdeep Singh (653) are also in the top 10, ranking seventh and 10th, respectively, while Axar Patel sits in 13th place.

🔥 India shines in the latest ICC T20 rankings! 🇮🇳💥

Hardik Pandya retains his No.1 all-rounder spot 🏆, while Abhishek Sharma & Tilak Varma break into the top 5 batters! 🎯 Mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy slips to No.3 among bowlers, with Ravi Bishnoi & Arshdeep Singh also… pic.twitter.com/JI8NS2TNKX

— Doordarshan Sports (@ddsportschannel) April 2, 2025

 In the batting rankings, young opener Abhishek Sharma is now in second place, followed by Tilak Varma and Suryakumar Yadav, who are ranked fourth and fifth, respectively.

Suryakumar Yadav recently appeared in a video on the YouTube channel ‘Khaane Mai Kya Hai’; Surya shared his thoughts on Rohit Sharma’s unique on-field communication style. Sitting alongside Tilak Varma and jackie shroff, Suryakumar addressed the fact that Rohit’s quotes often get caught on the stump mic, a topic which surely makes him a fan favourite.

Suryakumar characterised Rohit as a captain who speaks to his players in an affectionate and motivating tone. Suryakumar quoted, “He communicates with affection, rarely uses harsh language, and is engaged in the game." He added that while Rohit might sometimes use stronger words due to the heat of the moment, it never comes from a place of anger but rather a deep passion for the game. “He just wants everything to be in place and perfect, and that’s why he is always directing people,” Suryakumar said.

Follow For More: https://www.cricketwinner.com

Suryakumar Yadav about the love story of Rohit Sharma and Stumps mic😹🔥👍

pic.twitter.com/CMnjTM1Gzo

— Gillfied⁷ (@Gill_Iss) April 1, 2025

Also Read: Rob Walter resigns as South Africa’s white-ball head coach

Away from the field, Suryakumar made it clear that Rohit is still that same friendly, down-to-earth guy. He likes to have a laugh, keeps the dressing room environment fun, and makes sure everyone’s really at ease. he added. Rohit’s ability to maintain the same personality both on and off the field is the mark of a great leader.

Rohit’s interactions, many of them picked up by the stump mic, have become viral moments, showing his tactical mind and humorous side. As Suryakumar said of his captain, “He’s always in the picture, always in the zone-it’s what makes him a great captain."