IPL 2025 | Tilak Verma was on song vs RCB but was retired out vs LSG, skipper Hardik Pandya reveals why
Mumbai Indians skipper Hardik Pandya has revealed that batter Tilak Verma was retired out in the last match because of an injury he had suffered in the nets the previous day. The statement came as Verma hit whirlwind fifty in Mumbai’s failed chase against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on Monday (Apr 7).
Verma had laboured for his 23-ball 25 against Lucknow Super Giants before being retired out on the last ball of the penultimate over with Mumbai needing 22 runs of the last six balls.
At the time, the decision was criticised a lot and MI coach Mahela Jayawardene called it a tactical decision as Tilak, generally a good hitter, wasn’t able to hit boundaries. After loss on Monday, Pandya explained the reason behind the tactical call and praised Verma for his innings of 29-ball 56 vs RCB which included four each of sixes and fours.
“Tilak was fantastic,” Hardik said at the post-match presentation after loss was RCb. “Last game, a lot of things happened. People made a lot of things about it, but people don’t know he had a nasty hit the previous day [in the nets]. It was a tactical call, but because of the finger injury the coach felt someone fresh can do it, but he was fantastic today.”
Mumbai, however, failed to chase both 200+ targets by equal margin – 12 runs. Chasing a mammoth 222, MI once again had a poor start and lost two wickets for 38 runs inside the first four overs against Bengaluru.
By the 10-over mark, MI were at about 80 runs with seven wickets in hand which became 99/4 in 12 overs. Tilak and skipper Pandya then added 88 runs in 34 balls before Verma was dismissed in the 18th over. Pandya followed the suit in the penultimate over but MI managed to score nine runs – leaving 19 for the last six balls off Krunal Pandya.
The other Pandya, however, had the last laugh as he took three wickets and gave away just six runs to take his team home.
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