(Video) Suryakumar Yadav’s sad reaction to Hardik Pandya forcing Tilak Varma to retire against LSG goes viral

Suryakumar Yadav expressed shock and disapproval at MI captain Hardik Pandya's decision to retire Tilak Varma mid-chase against LSG.

(Video) Suryakumar Yadav’s sad reaction to Hardik Pandya forcing Tilak Varma to retire against LSG goes viral

Suryakumar Yadav expressed shock at MI's decision to retire Tilak Varma mid-chase against LSG. (via NDTV)

Mumbai Indians star Suryakumar Yadav was left shocked, after the team decided to force young batter Tilak Varma to retire mid-game, in a thrilling 204-run chase against Lucknow Super Giants. The 34-year-old expressed his sharp disapproval, as MI went on to lose the match. 

Chasing a stiff 204-run target against LSG at the Ekana Stadium, Mumbai Indians walked out to bat without their star opener Rohit Sharma. The 37-year-old missed out due to a knee injury that he sustained while training. Despite losing openers Will Jacks and Ryan Rickelton early on, Suryakumar Yadav and Naman Dhir stabilized the innings from there on. The two batters got MI closer to the finish line. 

YouTube video

Naman Dhir scored a quickfire 46 runs off 24 balls, while Suryakumar Yadav hit a blistering knock of 67 runs off 43 balls. However, the two set batters were dismissed later on, bringing the home side back into the game. With 24 runs required in the last 7 balls, MI captain Hardik Pandya shockingly opted to retire Tilak Varma, who was batting on 25 runs off 23 balls, and was finding it difficult to hit the big shots.

The 22-year-old was surprisingly replaced by all-rounder Mitchell Santner, who is not quite renowned for his six-hitting abilities, a decision many former players and critics found uncanny. Moreover, the unusual strategy of getting Tilak Varma retired did not work out, as Santner and skipper Pandya failed to guide MI to a win. Mumbai Indians fell short by 12 runs, ending the match at 191 runs for 5 wickets.

A video of Suryakumar Yadav’s baffling reaction after realizing that his trusted teammate had been retired went viral on social media. As soon as he spotted Varma walking towards the pavilion, the 34-year-old erupted out in protest. MI head coach Mahela Jayawardene had to walk up to the distraught Suryakumar Yadav, as he explained the rationale behind his decision in an attempt to calm the Indian T20I captain. 

Surely, Suryakumar Yadav’s disappointment was in the right place, as he and Naman Dhir had put in their batting efforts to bring the visitors back into the match. Despite the Sri Lankan’s explanation, the 34-year-old did not seem convinced at all. Moreover, Surya is one of Tilak Varma’s biggest admirers, and he had interestingly sacrificed his number 3 spot in the Indian T20I side in favor of the young MI batter.

Meanwhile, coach Mahela Jayawardene, speaking after the match, reflected on the team’s need to be ‘ruthless’ in such situations. MI will be hoping to bounce back from this recent setback, when they take on RCB at home, followed by an away match against Delhi Capitals. 

Suryakumar Yadav breaks silence on reports claiming he might leave Mumbai to join Goa, following Yashasvi Jaiswal

The surprising news of young Indian opener Yashasvi Jaiswal’s decision to switch his domestic cricket allegiance from Mumbai to Goa has grabbed headlines. Furthermore, it has sparked rumors of Indian T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav’s departure from Mumbai to join Goa, as well. 

Suryakumar Yadav on Goa rumors
Indian T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav rubbished rumors of his potential move to join Goa, following Yashasvi Jaiswal’s switch. (via X)

A report emerged that Suryakumar Yadav might be leading several players out of the Mumbai team, to join Goa, after the team recently received promotion to the Ranji Trophy elite division. Laughing off the report, the 34-year-old veteran Indian batter however, rubbished the rumors. He posted a screenshot on the report, and hilariously claimed that journalists should turn into a ‘script-writers’.

Meanwhile, Yashasvi Jaiswal became the third player from Mumbai in recent years, to move to Goa. He follows Arjun Tendulkar and Siddhesh Lad out of the team. The 23-year-old might be handed a leadership role with the team, after he received a ‘no-objection certificate’ from the MCA.