With five overs left, Atharva Taide was struggling. He gave a few chances, which Delhi did not take and with the required rate rising, Punjab had to make a tactical call. In the end, he walked off retired out with Punjab needing 86 in the last five, so that the Kings could get their hitters in. By doing so, Atharva Taide became the second batter to get retired out, after Ravichandran Ashwin last season.

Behind him, Jitesh Sharma, Sam Curran and Shah Rukh Khan were waiting so the move was justified, but was it too late and did it deprive Atharva Taide from converting his score into something big. He did bat for a considerable time, and despite making 50, he did not look too good with his control. He gave some catches which were not taken, indicating that there was a case for him being retired out earlier.

The retired-out decision though remains a tricky one. It is a decision that has had some attention on quite a few occasions, and Rahul Tewatia’s example in 2020 is a prime one. During that famous innings, he went through a big struggle, making 14 off 21, in a chase where the required rate was nudging three a ball. What followed after though was an amazing turnaround which made Rahul Tewatia the finisher.

With that innings in mind, there was a possibility of Punjab Kings and sides in general waiting before retiring a batter out. In hindsight though Atharva Taide’s decision could be considered a little late. A few balls after he walked out Jitesh Sharma was dismissed questioning the move, but four overs of carnage left spectators wondering what could have happened if the likes of Curran and Shah Rukh Khan came in a couple overs earlier.

Had Delhi taken their catches, the decision would have been a lot easier, allowing the hitters to come in at around the 12th over, changing the story a touch. The situation was similar, although it happened when Rajasthan batted first last season. Back then, Ravichandran Ashwin walked off in the 19th over, giving Riyan Parag 8 balls to try and push Rajasthan to a bigger score, knowing that the side has more potential in the batting line-up.

For Punjab, the move was a daring one as well, and it almost paid off. The success of the move will be noticed by other sides, and it may not be long before teams explore with the timing of such decisions going forward.