There was a lot of chatter after the Mumbai Indians told Tilak Varma to retire during their match against the Lucknow Super Giants. Fans were pretty upset about it. But, MI captain Hardik Pandya stepped in to clear the air after Tilak had a great performance against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru at Wankhede Stadium on Monday.
The young batsman had been having a rough time leading up to that game, but he proved himself by scoring 56 runs off just 29 balls, which included four fours and four sixes. Hardik explained why they sent him back to the dugout when he spoke at the post-match ceremony. “In the last game, a lot happened. People talked a lot about it, but what they don’t know is that he took a nasty hit the day before,” he said, according to Cricbuzz.
“Sending him back was a tactical decision. Because of that finger injury he had, the coach thought it was better to let someone fresh come in and take a swing at it. He really played well today,” Hardik added.
Even though MI tried hard, they ended up losing to RCB by 12 runs, breaking a long streak of wins at home against them. Krunal Pandya was great with the ball, taking four wickets, including three in the final over. Hardik also put in a good performance with the bat, scoring 42 runs off just 15 balls, which had everyone thinking MI could pull it off. But in the end, it wasn’t enough, and the team’s rough start to the season continued.
On a bright note, though, they can feel good about Tilak’s batting skills and hope that helps them bounce back in upcoming matches. The MI squad will regroup and look to get their first win when they face the Delhi Capitals on April 13, which is a Sunday. Hopefully, they can turn things around then and regain their form.
