3 Players Who Were Retired Out in the IPL Before Tilak Varma in LSG vs MI IPL 2025 Match
Mumbai Indians’ (MI) batter Tilak Varma became only the fourth player in Indian Premier League (IPL) history to be retired out—a rare and tactical move.
During MI’s IPL 2025 match against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in Lucknow, Tilak was brought in as an Impact Player, replacing spinner Vignesh Puthur during the run chase. He scored 25 runs off 23 balls but opted to walk off himself in the 19th over, when MI needed 24 runs from the final 7 balls.
Mitchell Santner replaced him at the crease in what seemed like a strategic decision by the MI management. However, the move didn’t yield the desired result, as MI failed to chase the target and lost the match by 12 runs, finishing on 191/5 in their 20 overs.
Tilak Varma is now the fourth player to be retired out in IPL history. Let’s take a look at the three players who had done it before him:
1. Ravichandran Ashwin – Rajasthan Royals vs Lucknow Super Giants (2022)
Ravichandran Ashwin made IPL history in 2022 by becoming the first player to be tactically retired out. He came in to bat at No. 6 for Rajasthan Royals and scored 28 off 23 balls. In the 19th over, with the score at 135/4, Ashwin walked off voluntarily, allowing a more aggressive batter to take over.
The strategy worked, with Rajasthan Royals adding 30 more runs and finishing at 165/5. They eventually won the match by just 3 runs, proving the tactic to be effective.
2. Atharva Taide – Punjab Kings vs Delhi Capitals (2023)
Atharva Taide became the second player in IPL history to be retired out during a match in 2023. Batting on 55 off 42 balls, Taide was asked to make way for Jitesh Sharma during Punjab Kings’ chase of 213 against Delhi Capitals.
Punjab needed 86 runs off the last 5 overs, with the required rate climbing to 17.2. Despite the attacking options still left in the lineup—Shahrukh Khan, Jitesh Sharma, and Sam Curran—the move didn’t pay off. Punjab fell short by 15 runs.
3. Sai Sudharsan – Gujarat Titans vs Mumbai Indians (Qualifier 2, 2023)
Sai Sudharsan was the third player to be tactically retired out, during the Qualifier 2 against Mumbai Indians in IPL 2023. He had scored 43 off 31 balls at a healthy strike rate close to 140 but walked off just before the final over, making way for Rashid Khan to finish the innings with some fireworks.
Rashid made an immediate impact by smashing a boundary on the very first ball. Gujarat Titans ended their innings with a mammoth 233 runs, bolstered by a spectacular 120 off 60 from Shubman Gill. The Titans went on to win the match by 62 runs.
With Tilak Varma now joining this rare list, the use of tactical retirements is slowly gaining attention in T20 cricket, especially in high-pressure situations where every ball counts. While it remains a bold move, it’s clear that it’s a strategy teams are willing to explore more in the future.
