Mumbai Indians suffered their third loss of the season as LSG defeated them by 12 runs on Friday. Chasing a challenging target of 204, MI found themselves in a promising position at 152/3, largely due to Suryakumar Yadav’s explosive 43-ball 67. However, once he was dismissed, the innings began to lose momentum. Tilak Varma and Hardik Pandya, who were expected to guide the team home, couldn’t quite deliver in the final stretch. Tilak Varma, who came in at number five as the Impact Player, was batting on 25 off 23 balls when the MI think tank made a bold move to retire him out right before the final over, allowing Mitchell Santner to come in. The decision didn’t pay off, and MI ultimately fell 12 runs short of the target. Also Read: 'I take full ownership': Hardik Pandya after MI's loss to LSG The tactical call to retire Varma out drew criticism on social media, with many fans questioning the logic behind removing a set batter during a crucial phase of the game. Pandya, Jayawardena defend retiring out Varma Both Hardik Pandya and Mahela Jayawardena have stood by the decision. Speaking to the commentators after the match, Pandya explained that the team needed boundaries in the final moments and felt that Varma was unable to find the gaps. "That was obvious. We needed some hits at the end and he was not getting those. In cricket, some of those days come when you try but they don't come," he said. Addressing the media during the post-match press conference, Jayawardena echoed the same sentiment, calling it a tactical decision. "He just wanted to get going but couldn't. We waited till the last few overs. As he spent some overs in the middle, he should've got going but he couldn't. We just felt that we needed someone fresh inside to hit. These things happen in cricket. Not nice to take him out but I had to do that. It was a tactical decision," he said. Following the defeat, MI now sit at 7th on the points table with one win and three losses. LSG, with two wins and two losses, remain in 6th place.