Tilak Varma became the latest player to be retired out in an IPL match during Mumbai Indians' defeat to Lucknow Super Giants at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow on Friday. Only three players had been retired out before in the IPL. Here is the full list:
R Ashwin 28 (23)
RR vs LSG, Wankhede, 2022
With murmurs growing louder around the tactical use of retired out in T20 cricket, Ashwin took the conversation from theory to practice. Promoted to No. 6 in the tenth over to shield Riyan Parag for a more favourable entry point later, Ashwin compiled 28 off 23 balls. But with just ten balls left in the innings and Rajasthan Royals (RR) on 135 for 4, he chose to retire out, making way for Parag. RR added 30 runs in the remaining deliveries and later edged home by three runs.
Atharva Taide 55 (42)
PBKS vs DC, Dharamsala, 2023
Punjab Kings were lagging in their 214-run chase, and opener Taide's strike rate of 131 after facing the equivalent of seven overs wasn't helping. With five overs to go and the required rate climbing, PBKS made a tactical call of retiring out Taide to bring in Jitesh Sharma, with Shahrukh Khan and Sam Curran next to come. At that point, Kings were 128 for 3, needing 86 to win off 30 balls. The move didn't quite tilt the game their way, as they eventually fell short by 15 runs.
Sai Sudharsan 43 (31)
GT vs MI, Qualifier 2, Ahmedabad, 2023
It was the Shubman Gill show in Ahmedabad, the opener lighting up Qualifier 2 with a breathtaking 129 off 60 balls. Sudharsan held one end up while Gill did the heavy lifting, but in the slog overs, Gujarat Titans' momentum dipped - the 18th and 19th overs produced just 16 runs. With one over left, GT retired out Sudharsan. In walked Rashid Khan, who hit his first ball for four. GT finished on 233 for 3 - more than enough to book a spot in their second straight IPL final.
Tilak Varma 23 (25)
MI vs LSG, Lucknow, 2025
Suryakumar's scintillating 67 off 42 kept Mumbai Indians in the mix during their 204-run chase in Lucknow. But Impact Player Tilak, brought in at No. 5, struggled to shift gears. With MI needing 52 off the last 23 balls. Tilak managed to score eight off his last five balls at the crease - four of them coming via an edged boundary - before he went off as MI grew increasingly desperate. Tilak was retired out when MI needed 24 off seven balls. The move didn't pay off, as LSG held their nerve to close out a 12-run win.