In a surprising moment during the Mumbai Indians vs Lucknow Super Giants clash in IPL 2025, star batter Tilak Varma was “retired out” — a move that raised eyebrows and sparked major chatter online.
So what really happened?
Mumbai Indians were chasing a steep 204-run target set by LSG. With early wickets tumbling, the responsibility fell on Tilak Varma and Suryakumar Yadav. While Surya was finding boundaries, Tilak struggled to find rhythm, scoring a sluggish 25 off 23 deliveries — below the strike rate needed for such a big chase.
With the asking rate climbing, MI made a tactical decision to retire Tilak out and send in Mitchell Santner, hoping for more firepower in the death overs. However, the strategy didn’t pay off. MI fell short by 12 runs — but the move still got everyone talking.
What Does “Retired Out” Mean?
Unlike a regular dismissal (bowled, caught, LBW, etc.), a batter is retired out when they voluntarily leave the field without injury and do not return with the permission of the umpire or opposition captain.
According to the MCC Laws of Cricket, a batter who retires without an accepted reason and does not resume is considered “retired out.” The IPL allows this under its playing conditions, and it’s counted as a dismissal for stats purposes — but no bowler gets credit for it.
Why Did MI Do It?
In modern T20 cricket, every ball counts. Teams are increasingly using aggressive strategies to maximize scoring, even if it means pulling out a batter mid-innings if they’re slowing things down.
Tilak Varma became just the fourth player in IPL history to be retired out — after Ravichandran Ashwin, Atharva Taide, and Sai Sudharsan.
It’s a bold call. Some call it genius. Others call it panic. But one thing is clear: T20 cricket is evolving, and strike rate is king.
