Experiencing the Mumbai Indians dressing room is somewhat unconventional. Two current captains of Team India—Rohit Sharma, who leads in ODIs and Tests, and Suryakumar Yadav, the T20I captain—find themselves playing under Hardik Pandya, who does not hold the vice-captaincy in any format. This situation reflects the distinctive approach of the Mumbai Indians' ownership and management, which prioritizes what they believe is best for the team. They have previously demonstrated their willingness to make bold decisions, such as appointing Rohit Sharma as captain mid-season in 2013 and subsequently replacing him with Hardik Pandya last year. Additionally, they made the controversial choice to retire Tilak Varma during a 204-run chase against the Lucknow Super Giants when he struggled to hit boundaries.

Each of these decisions has been scrutinized. Rohit's removal and Hardik's promotion faced significant backlash, while the decision to retire Tilak Varma, though less likely to provoke a similar outcry, still garnered its share of criticism and confusion.

Former Indian cricketers Harbhajan Singh, Virender Sehwag, and Mohammad Kaif expressed their disbelief regarding the rationale behind retiring Tilak Varma and substituting him with Mitchell Santner, who is not particularly renowned for his ability to hit sixes.

However, if the Mumbai Indians were to gauge the general sentiment regarding their choice to withdraw Tilak, they would not need to look far. Their own Suryakumar Yadav was clearly displeased with the decision.

Suryakumar Yadav not happy with MI's decision to retire out Tilak Varma

Suryakumar Yadav expressed his dissatisfaction with MI's choice to retire Tilak Varma. At a crucial juncture, MI required 29 runs from 12 balls, with Tilak and Hardik Pandya at the crease. Shardul Thakur, bowling for LSG, executed yorkers and low full tosses with remarkable accuracy, preventing Hardik and Tilak from elevating the ball for aerial shots. The duo managed only five singles—two from Tilak and three from Pandya—before a pivotal moment in the match unfolded.

Instead of facing the final delivery of the 19th over, Tilak began to head back to the pavilion, allowing Santner to take his place at the crease. The commentators noted that Tilak, who had scored 25 runs off 23 balls with just two boundaries, was retiring out.

As Santner approached the pitch and Tilak exited, Surya, who was seated in the dugout, appeared incredulous. He was observed expressing his discontent regarding the decision. MI's head coach, Mahela Jayawardene, then approached Surya to clarify the reasoning behind the move. Although Surya did not respond further, it was evident that India's T20I captain remained unconvinced.

It is worth noting that Surya is one of Tilak's staunchest supporters, having notably relinquished his No. 3 position in India's T20I lineup after Tilak achieved his first international century.

Surya had ample cause for disappointment. MI had a viable chance to pursue the target while he was at the crease. The momentum shifted in favor of LSG only after Surya was dismissed while attempting to hit an Avesh Khan delivery for six in the 17th over. Surya scored 67 runs off 43 balls, but it was insufficient to secure a victory for MI, who ultimately lost by 12 runs.

Jayawardene the mastermind behind retiring out Tilak Varma

Jayawardene, the strategist behind Tilak Varma's retirement, later disclosed that the decision to substitute Tilak with Mitchell Santner was his own.

"I believe Tilak performed well for us after we lost that wicket and during his partnership with Surya. He was eager to continue but struggled to find his rhythm. I held off until the final overs, hoping that since he had spent some time at the crease, he would be able to make a significant impact. However, I ultimately felt that we needed a fresh player, as he was having difficulties. It’s never easy to make such a decision, but it was a tactical choice at that moment," Jayawardene explained to reporters during the press conference.

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