What is 'Retired Out' in Cricket? Here is all you need to know about unheard mode of dismissal

In a smart move by Rajasthan during the game against Lucknow, Ravichandran Ashwin was retired out to give Riyan Parag a go at the bowlers. Shimron Hetmyer and Ashwin batted well to help Rajasthan recover from a collapse. However, they needed some quick runs in the end. While Hetmyer went bonkers, Ashwin was struggling to hit the boundaries. Thus, he was retired out to give Riyan Parag an opportunity to support Shimron Hetmyer.

Hetmyer's quick-fire knock got Rajasthan to a total of 165 in the first inning. The men in pink were able to defend the score in a nail-biting thriller. They won the match by three runs. Ashwin's 'Retired-Out' incident caught everyone's attention as this was the first such instance in the Indian T20 League. Here is all you need to know about Retired Out in cricket.

According to the regulations, a batter can retire themselves out but they must notify the umpire about the same. There is a difference between Retired hurt and Retired out. A batter who is retired hurt can return to play but a batter who is retired out can't bat again, unless the fielding captain allows.

As per MCC law 25.4.3, "If a batter retires for any reason other than as in 25.4.2 (retires because of illness, injury or any other unavoidable cause), the innings of that batter may be resumed only with the consent of the opposing captain. If for any reason his/her innings is not resumed, that batter is to be recorded as 'Retired - out’."

All incidents of 'Retired Out' in cricket

Only four batters, including Ashwin, have been retired out from T20s. Shahid Afridi of Pakistan, Sonam Tobgay of Bhutan, and Sunzamul Islam are among others on the list.

Retired Out batters in T20

• Shahid Afridi - Pakistanis vs Northants Tour Match, 2010
• Ravichandran Ashwin - Rajasthan vs Lucknow, Indian T20 League 2022
• Sonam Tobgay - Bhutan vs Maldives, 2010
• Sunzamul Islam - Cumilla Warriors vs Chattogram Challengers, Bangladesh Premier League, 2019.

Retired Out players in Tests

Only two instances of batters retiring out in Test cricket have occurred. Interestingly, both these incidents took place in the same match. It happened during a Test match between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in 2001. After reaching a double century, Sri Lankan captain Marvan Atapattu called back Sanath Jayasuriya. In the same match, Mahela Jayawardene retired out after scoring 150.