The Indian Premier League (IPL) is famous not only for exciting matches, good players, etc., but also for some moves that transform the game away from traditional performance. One great example is the tactical "retired out," in which a batter is dismissed without injury voluntarily as a result of a strategy to replace the batter with a different batter that makes sense from the context of the match.

1. Ravichandran Ashwin - Rajasthan Royals vs. LSG, 2022

Ashwin still wrote himself into the history books a little during IPL 2022, as he became the first player to be retired out. In this example, Rajasthan Royals chose to take Ashwin off in a match against Lucknow Super Giants in the 19th over so they could send in a more aggressive batter for the end-game thrust. Aside from shocking the vast majority, it opened some new strategic doors in the IPL.

Also Read: IPL 2025: 3 players who can replace Rishabh Pant as LSG captain

2. Atharva  Taide - Punjab Kings vs. DC, 2023

Punjab Kings retired Atharva after he made 26 in IPL 2023. Taide is making an impact on the field against Delhi Capitals. While he was consistently able to provide the foundation with the bat, he often couldn’t raise the pace in bursts when the side needed an influx of runs all of a sudden. His team management further decided to remove him from play for the duration, emphasizing that this “retired out” option was not merely a one-off response.

3. Sai Sudharsan - GT vs. MI, 2023

The second instance, well on the verge of becoming a trend, came in the same season when Gujarat Titans employed tactical retirement to retire out Sai Sudharsan against Mumbai Indians. It was a smart gamble to add a known playoff sniper and represented that franchises were willing to get aggressive and take chances, even with their growing young core.

Also Read: IPL 2025: SRH vs GT - A Head to Head breakdown

4. Tilak Varma - Mumbai Indians vs. LSG, 2025

It doesn’t stop here; the further names you could be adding to this list as of right now are Tilak Varma and IPL 2025. Mumbai Indians made the shocking call in their game against Lucknow Super Giants, inarguably overshadowing another show of personnel over strategy far too often seen in today’s game.

Retired outs in the IPL are fast becoming a not-so-trendy new black mark-added trend in waiting. With the search to extend the margins and find any edge possible, teams aren’t leaving any stone unturned, and “retired out” might just be the sharpest new tool in the league’s strategic playbook.