It's not an injury. It's not an accident. It's a plan. Here's why 'retired out’ is rewriting the IPL script'
Imagine the stadium lights blazing, fans biting their nails, and the scoreboard ticking like a time bomb. In the midst of the chaos, a batter – still fit, still firing – quietly walks off the field. No limp. No stretcher. Just a raised bat and a nod to the dressing room.
Sounds strange? Welcome to the curious case of the 'retired out' — the IPL's newest tactical twist.
On a tense evening during the IPL 2025 clash between the Punjab Kings and the Chennai Super Kings, Devon Conway was cruising at 69 off 49 balls. CSK needed 49 runs from 13 balls. The heat was on. But instead of going down swinging, Conway walked away — tactically. In came Ravindra Jadeja, CSK's finisher. It was a bold move. It didn't pay off. But it got everyone talking.
Credit: Criczine
Let's break it down. A batter who leaves the field due to injury is considered retired hurt. They haven't been dismissed and can return to bat later if needed. Think of it as hitting pause on a game.
Retired out, though? That's a different ball game altogether. It's not about cramps or bruises — it's about brains and boldness. The batter steps aside for strategic reasons and cannot come back. It's a self-sacrifice of sorts — all for the team's cause.
Credit: YouTube
This isn't just a one-off. The Mumbai Indians tried it earlier this season with Tilak Varma. Before that, the Rajasthan Royals successfully executed it with R Ashwin in 2022. Slowly but surely, this quirky move is becoming part of the T20 playbook.
Why now? T20 is fast. Every ball counts. Every second matters. So, if a batter doesn't quite fit the situation — perhaps struggling against spin or not hitting big — why not bring in someone better suited? It's like subbing in a penalty specialist in the dying minutes of a football match.
Credit: ESPN
Of course, pulling a batter out mid-innings isn't always well received. It raises questions, disrupts the rhythm, and if it backfires, as it did for CSK, it invites criticism. But when it clicks, it appears genius. It's a gamble, a roll of the dice, and that's precisely why it has fans glued to the screen.
Credit: India Today
"Retired" used to mean one thing in cricket — the sad, slow end of a career or a sudden injury on the field. But retired out? It's fresh. It's tactical. It's here to shake things up. And who knows, it might just become as common as a switch-hit or a scoop shot.
In a game where innovation is everything, walking away might be the bravest move of all.
