Rajasthan Royals’ Ravichandran Ashwin became the first player in the Indian Premier League history to get retired out. The bowling all-rounder left the field unbeaten in the Rajasthan Royals vs Lucknow Super Giants game on April 10 to stun fans and pundits alike.
Batting at number six Ashwin walked in to join Shimron Hetmyer and the duo put up a crucial 68-run partnership after the Sanju Samson-led side was reduced to 67- 4 in 9.5 overs.
Before the third ball of the penultimate over was bowled, Ashwin walked out of the field without any injury concern after scoring 28 off 23. Riyan Parag took his place on the field for the remaining 10 balls. Later, a tweet from the official Rajasthan Royals account confirmed that Ashwin was ‘retired out’. This is the first time we saw an incident of ‘retired out’ in IPL history.
Royals got 16 off the penultimate over with Hetmyer hit two sixes off the next two balls after Ashwin walked out. With help from Parag, the two added another16 runs in the final over. Hetmyer in the post-match press conference said that he had no idea why Ashwin left the field suddenly.
“I had no idea about it (Ashwin’s retired out decision). He was also a bit tired. It was a good decision, as the kid (Parag) hit a six for us. We are in with a good chance,” Hetmyer told Star Sports. Parag scored eight runs off four balls while Hetmyer hit an unbeaten 59 off 36 balls.
So what is retired out in cricket? Let’s find out
Retired out: Origin and past instances occurred
We have not seen too many instances of a player getting ‘retired out’ in the history of cricket. However, there have been two instances in Test cricket and three in T20s, excluding the R Ashwin one.
Sri Lanka’s Marvan Atapattu and Mahela Jayawardene retired out in the same innings of the same Test match against Bangladesh in 2001. Atapattu was called in by captain Sanath Jayasuriya after scoring a double ton and soon later in that innings, Jayawardene also walked back to the pavilion unbeaten on 150.
In 1983 during the India vs West Indies series, Gordon Greenidge retired from the middle of the fifth Test to visit his dying daughter. Although this was a case of ‘retired out’, an exception was made for Greenidge and his knock of 154 was recorded as ‘retired not out.’
In the T20s, the first instance was of former Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi. He retired out while playing for Pakistan in the Northants tour match in 2010.
The second cricketer to ‘retire out’ in the T20s is Bhutan’s Sonam Tobgay against the Maldives in 2019. The third time we saw this happen was in the 2019 Bangladesh Premier League game when Cumilla Warriors’ Sunzamul Islam walked out of the field in the game against Chattogram Challengers.
How has ICC defined “Retired Out”?
According to the International Cricket Council (ICC), a batter can retire out himself if the ball is dead after informing the on-field umpires. As per ICC law “A batter may retire at any time during his/her innings when the ball is dead. The umpires, before allowing play to proceed, shall be informed of the reason for a batter retiring.”
Difference between Retired Out and Retired Hurt
While fans are familiar with the term ‘retired hurt’, ‘retired out’ still remains a mystery to many. We have seen an uncountable number of instances when a player ‘retired hurt’. As the name itself suggests, ‘retired hurt’ is when a batter retires after getting an illness injury during the game, i.e. when he is not fit to complete the match and has no choice but to walk back to the pavilion. The injured player can be replaced by another player from the squad, and if he feels fit to return to the game before it ends, he can do so. If the batter is unable to resume his innings, it is recorded as “Retired – not out”.
‘Retired out’ is when the player walks off the field without any genuine reason and without the permission of the umpire. In this case, the player cannot return to the field without consent from the opposing captain. In the case of a ‘retired out’, the batter is considered dismissed for the purpose of calculating the batting average.
Ashwin’s decision to retire out has been applauded by cricketers
Former cricketers have joined hands in applauding Ashwin’s decision to get tactically retired in the IPL 2022 game, saying that he did it in the best interest of the team. How Ashwin handled the situation has received more applause than flak.
FAQs
What is retired out vs retired hurt?
Retired out, in simple words, means leaving the field without a genuine reason like injury or any other concern. Retired hurt is when you are injured during the game and then walk off the field.
What is the retired hurt meaning?
As the name itself suggests, ‘retired hurt’ is when a player gets hurt or injured during the game, is not fit to complete the match and has to walk back to the pavilion.
Is retired out allowed in cricket?
Without the umpire’s permission, the batsman cannot walk back to the dugout. If he walks away without the umpire’s consent, he is given a ‘retired out’ for the purpose of calculating the batting average.
Can a retired batsman come back?
A retired hurt batsman is allowed to resume his innings, but a retired out batsman can return to the field if only the captain of the opponent team agrees to it.
Also read – Which Batsman Has Recorded the Fastest Century in IPL History?
