Retired Out Rule in Cricket & IPL Explained (2026)

What Is Retired Out?

Under the Laws of Cricket (Law 25), a batsman can voluntarily leave the field and their innings is considered "retired out". Unlike retired hurt (where a batsman leaves due to injury), retired out means the batsman is choosing to end their innings without injury — typically for tactical reasons.

Key distinction:

• Retired hurt → Batsman leaves due to injury/illness → Can return to bat later
• Retired out → Batsman voluntarily retires → Cannot return to bat (unless the opposing captain agrees)

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The Rules

Law 25 — Retired (MCC Laws of Cricket)

1. A batsman may retire at any time during their innings
2. The umpire must be informed of whether the retirement is "hurt" or "out"
3. If retired out: The batsman cannot resume their innings unless the opposing captain consents
4. If retired hurt: The batsman can resume their innings at the fall of any subsequent wicket
5. A retired out batsman is recorded as "retired out" in the scorecard — it counts as a wicket
6. A retired hurt batsman is recorded as "retired not out" — it does NOT count as a wicket

IPL-Specific Rules

The IPL follows these same rules but with additional context:

• A retired out batsman is considered dismissed — the next batsman comes in
• The retired batsman's score counts, but they can't come back
• Impact player substitutions are separate from retired out
• A retired out affects Dream11 scoring — the batsman gets a -2 penalty in most fantasy formats

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Retired Out vs Retired Hurt — Key Differences

Factor	Retired Out	Retired Hurt
Reason	Tactical choice	Injury/illness
Can return?	No (unless opposition agrees)	Yes, at fall of next wicket
Counts as wicket?	Yes	No
Scorecard notation	"retired out"	"retired not out"
Opposing captain consent	Not needed to retire; needed to return	Automatic right to return
Fantasy cricket impact	-2 penalty on most platforms	No penalty
Common in	T20 cricket, IPL	All formats

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Why Would a Batsman Retire Out?

Tactical Retirement

The most common reason in T20 cricket. A batsman who is well set but batting slowly may retire to let a power hitter come in during the death overs.

Example scenario:

• A top-order batsman is 35 off 30 balls in over 14
• The team needs 90 runs off 36 balls
• A big hitter like Andre Russell or Tim David is waiting to bat
• The set batsman retires out so the hitter can face more balls

Strike Rotation in Test Cricket

Extremely rare in Tests, but theoretically a captain could retire out to change the batting order in unusual circumstances.

IPL Auction/Team Strategy

Some teams have discussed using tactical retirements as a built-in strategy — having a steady accumulator bat through the middle overs and then retire to let finishers dominate the death.

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Famous Retired Out Incidents

1. Ravichandran Ashwin — Rajasthan Royals, IPL 2022

The first high-profile tactical retirement in IPL history. Ashwin retired out after scoring 28 off 23 balls against LSG, allowing Riyan Parag to come in earlier during the chase. RR won the match, and Ashwin's decision was praised as selfless cricket.

2. KL Rahul — LSG vs MI, IPL 2023

Rahul retired at 61 off 47 balls to let Marcus Stoinis and Nicholas Pooran accelerate in the death overs. LSG went on to post a big total.

3. Sunil Narine — KKR, IPL 2024

Narine retired after a quickfire cameo, making way for power hitters in the middle order. KKR used this tactically multiple times during their title-winning season.

4. Rishabh Pant — DC, IPL 2024

Pant retired hurt (not retired out) at 44 off 31 in a match, but there was debate about whether it was genuinely injury-related or tactical.

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Retired Out in International Cricket

Retired out is extremely rare in international cricket:

Match	Batsman	Reason	Year
Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka	Mushfiqur Rahim	Retired hurt (disputed — appeared tactical)	2021
Marylebone CC vs Nepal	Numerous	Educational/informal matches	Various

The ICC has considered formalizing tactical retirements in T20Is but hasn't implemented any changes as of 2026.

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How Retired Out Affects Fantasy Cricket

If you play Dream11 or other fantasy platforms:

Platform	Retired Out Impact
Dream11	-2 points (treated as dismissal)
My11Circle	-2 points
MPL	-2 points
CricPlay	-2 points

Fantasy tip: If a batsman has a pattern of retiring out (like Ashwin in 2022), factor this into your Dream11 captain picks. The -2 penalty can hurt if they retire early, but if they score 40+ before retiring, the total fantasy points are still positive.

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Rules for Different Formats

Format	Retired Out Allowed?	Common?	Notes
Test Cricket	Yes	Extremely rare	Would disrupt innings strategy
ODI	Yes	Never seen	50-over format allows more time
T20I	Yes	Not yet in international T20s	Expected to increase
IPL	Yes	Growing trend since 2022	Becoming a legitimate tactic
WPL	Yes	Not yet seen	May emerge as league matures
BBL	Yes	Rare	Less aggressive approach in BBL

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The Debate: Should Retired Out Be Easier in T20?

Arguments For

1. Adds tactical depth — Captains get another strategic tool
2. Better for team cricket — Individual milestones shouldn't hold back team scoring
3. Speeds up the game — Gets power hitters in earlier
4. Encourages selfless cricket — Batsmen prioritize team over personal stats

Arguments Against

1. Devalues individual innings — A batsman working hard to build an innings gets pulled
2. Unfair to the bowler — Removing a struggling batsman gives the batting side an advantage
3. Fantasy cricket confusion — Unclear scoring implications
4. Slippery slope — Could lead to manipulation of scorecard statistics

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can a retired out batsman come back to bat?

Only if the opposing captain consents. In practice, this almost never happens in competitive cricket. If a batsman retires out, they should assume they cannot return. In contrast, a retired hurt batsman can return at the fall of any subsequent wicket without needing permission.

Is retired out counted as a dismissal?

Yes. It counts as a wicket and appears as "retired out" on the scorecard. It is NOT counted toward a bowler's figures (no bowler gets credit for the wicket), and it counts toward the team's total wickets lost.

How many times can a batsman retire out in one innings?

There's no limit. Theoretically, multiple batsmen could retire out in the same innings. However, the team still needs 10 wickets (or all-out equivalent) to end the innings — retired out batsmen count toward this total.

Does retired out affect a batsman's batting average?

Yes. Since it counts as a dismissal, it's included in the "times out" column. A score of 35 retired out is treated the same as 35 bowled/caught for average calculations. This is why some cricket statisticians debate whether tactical retirements should be categorised differently.

What happens if all batsmen retire out?

If enough batsmen retire out that only one batsman remains (the equivalent of being all out), the innings ends. In practice, this scenario is virtually impossible in professional cricket, but the laws do account for it.