Former India batting coach Sanjay Bangar expressed his disapproval of the Mumbai Indians' choice to retire Tilak Varma during their IPL match against the Lucknow Super Giants on Friday. Varma, who entered the game as an Impact Player while MI was chasing, struggled to find the boundary, managing only 25 runs off 23 balls. As confidence in his performance waned, the team opted to call him back in the second-to-last over. Ultimately, this decision did not yield a favorable outcome, as MI lost the match by 12 runs. The move drew criticism from fans and analysts alike, particularly because the player who replaced Varma, Mitchell Santner, is not known for his power-hitting capabilities in the IPL. Santner had limited opportunity to demonstrate his batting skills, facing just two balls in the final seven deliveries.

Bangar opined that the decision did not significantly influence the match's outcome, suggesting that an earlier retirement might have allowed Santner to face more deliveries, potentially altering the game's dynamics.

"I don't believe that retiring him had any real impact on the game. If it had been done a bit earlier, it might have affected how much needed to be scored in the last over. However, Santner only faced two balls," Bangar remarked to ESPNCricinfo.

The former RCB coach emphasized that the next batter was not Kieron Pollard, indicating that the management's choice could have undermined Varma's confidence in his abilities.

"Moreover, Tilak might have been able to handle a couple of those deliveries. It wasn't like Pollard was coming in next. This decision clearly undermines one of your top players, which could be quite disheartening," he added.

“Wasn't happening for Tilak Varma”

Tilak Varma faced challenges during the match. Former MI head coach Mark Boucher acknowledged that Tilak contributed positively with his 66-run partnership alongside Suryakumar Yadav, which helped stabilize the innings. However, he noted that Tilak struggled to find boundaries, as the LSG bowlers effectively contained him.

"Tilak played a commendable role in his partnership with Surya. Given his talent, one would expect him to increase his scoring rate, but it just wasn't working for him. The bowlers executed their plans very well against him," Boucher remarked.

He also indicated that batting coach Pollard would likely discuss with Varma potential strategies to enhance his performance during the middle overs.

"He might have considered a few different approaches, perhaps by adjusting his position on the crease. This is certainly a topic that Polly will address with him in the future. However, I don't believe it significantly affected the outcome of the game," he concluded.

Read Also: Tempers Flare in MI Dugout: Suryakumar Yadav Opposes Tilak Varma's Retirement

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