Few cricketers have been retired out since the first Indian Premier League (IPL) season. Chennai Super Kings (CSK) batter Ayush Mhatre became the sixth player in IPL history to be retired out during an IPL 2026 game against the Delhi Capitals (DC). Many IPL fans were unfamiliar with the move, as CSK targeted a high-scoring batting rally with another hitman in their squad.
Let’s check out all players who have ever exited an innings through this path in IPL history and see what it means to be retired out.
1. Ravichandran Ashwin (IPL 2022 vs LSG)
Bowling all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin made history in IPL 2022 as the first batter to retire out. This event occurred at the Wankhede Stadium during Ashwin’s stint at the Rajasthan Royals (RR).
Ashwin chose to exit the field of play against a Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) side gunning for a first-ever victory against the Rajasthan outfit. He already bagged 28 runs from 23 balls before opting to leave the crease for another teammate.
The veteran exited play to make way for Riyan Parag who went on to secure RR’s needed tally of 165/6. Ashwin’s exit strategy worked as intended for RR as they secured maximum points against LSG by 3 runs. LSG were restricted to 162/8 in an exhilarating encounter that coincided with the IPL’s first ‘retire out’ event.
2. Atharva Taide (IPL 2023 vs DC)
Atharva Taide played for the Punjab Kings (PBKS) at IPL 2023 and became the competition’s second-ever player to retire out. The event took place when PBKS faced a Delhi Capitals (DC) outfit with a mammoth margin set in Dharamsala. A 214-run chase was set by DC, putting Taide and PBKS on the path to a hot chase.
Taide chose to leave the field of play during PBKS’ fifteenth over in that encounter. He already had 55 runs off 42 balls on record before making way for another player. Taide’s move was smart, but it didn’t yield desired results. He left play for Jitesh Sharma during that encounter, who got out (a duck) in Over 16.
PBKS’ run chase eventually collapsed as they could only manage a 198/8 tally, losing the match by 15 runs.
3. Sai Sudharsan (IPL 2023 vs MI)
The Gujarat Titans (GT) outfit clashed with a dogged Mumbai Indians (MI) side at the IPL 2023 Qualifier 2 round. GT batter Sai Sudharsan became the third-ever player to retire out in the league.
The leftie batter faced a dogged MI pace attack in an attempt to register a high-scoring performance. He had to exit halfway into his encounter with MI’s bowling lineup, making way for Afghan batting all-rounder Rashid Khan. Sudharsan secured 43 runs from 31 balls before leaving during the penultimate over.
Hardik Pandya was at the other end for MI during the 19th over and faced Khan in an effort to stem GT’s rapid-fire batting prowess. Pandya’s approach yielded no result for MI as GT posted a total of 233/3 to beat the five-time IPL winners by 62 runs. GT and Sudharsan’s smart retire out strategy contributed to their berth in the IPL 2023 final before losing out to CSK.
4. Tilak Varma (IPL 2025 vs LSG)
Tilak Varma is on record as the fourth player in IPL history to retire out during a competitive fixture. He adopted the strategy during MI’s group fixture against LSG as his side targeted a 204-run margin set by the Lucknow franchise.
Varma came in to bat at No. 5 and exited play during Over 19 of that fixture. He got 25 runs off 23 balls before making way for Mitchell Santner. Tilak’s teammate came onto the field of play firing on all cylinders, but his effort did not deliver a desired result as MI lost the game by 12 runs.
5. Devon Conway (IPL 2025 vs PBKS)
CSK opening batter Devon Conway applied the retired out during a high-stakes clash against PBKS in IPL 2025. Conway registered a half-century (69 runs) from 49 balls before exiting play at Over 18. Ravindra Jadeja was his replacement during that encounter, but the change made no difference as CSK lost by 18 runs.
6. Ayush Mhatre (IPL 2026 vs DC)
CSK batter Ayush Mhatre joined five (5) other cricketers in the IPL all-time retire out list during IPL 2026. The event occurred during CSK’s encounter against the DC in Match 18 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai.
Mhatre batted at No. 3 before making way for Shivam Dube during the death overs. Ayush scored 59 runs from 36 balls before exiting the crease.
BONUS: What Does It Mean to Be Retired Out?
The rule allows a batter to declare himself as retired out in an innings during competitive matches at any IPL stage. He will count as out under this rule, allowing another batsman to take his place during a match.
Also Read: IPL 2026: Shock as Nitish Rana Gets Fined after Fiery Umpire Face-Off
Can A Retired Batter Play Again in the Innings?
A retired-out batter can play again in the same innings, but under certain conditions. The player retired out can only return if the match umpires and opposition team skipper approve.
