NEW DELHI: Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif has ignited a fresh debate on the increasingly prevalent ‘retired out’ tactic in the Indian Premier League (IPL), suggesting that it stems more from frustration than from strategic planning. His remarks followed an instance where Chennai Super Kings (CSK) opted to retire out their opener Devon Conway during their match against Punjab Kings in Mullanpur on Tuesday.
Conway, who was in fine form with 69 runs off 49 balls, was retired out in the 18th over as CSK chased a daunting target of 220 runs. He was replaced by Ravindra Jadeja with the team needing 49 runs off just 13 balls. Despite the tactical switch, CSK fell short by 18 runs, raising questions about the effectiveness of the ‘retired out’ strategy.
This was not the first time such a move was seen in the IPL this season. Earlier, Mumbai Indians had employed a similar tactic with Tilak Varma against Lucknow Super Giants, a match they also lost. These instances have fueled discussions on the utility and timing of the ‘retired out’ rule in T20 cricket.
Expressing his views on social media platform X, Kaif stated, “Teams are using the retired out option more out of frustration. It’s a tactic that rarely works as there are very few batters who can hit a six on the first ball they face. Most times, it is the struggling batsman on the crease who has a better chance of winning the game. Remember Rahul Tewatia, he hit 5 sixes in 5 balls after making just 8 runs off 19 balls.”
Kaif’s critique has reignited the debate over the ‘retired out’ rule, questioning whether it is a useful innovation or merely a desperate gamble. As teams continue to experiment with this tactic, the cricketing world watches closely to see if it will become a staple strategy or fade away as a short-lived trend.