Former New Zealand captain and current Gujarat Giants all-rounder Sophie Devine believes the “retired-out” dismissal is here to stay in T20 cricket, even if plenty of people are still making up their minds about it.
The debate flared again this week when the Women’s Premier League produced two retire-outs in as many days. Gujarat’s Ayushi Soni became the competition’s first, against Mumbai Indians, and 24 hours later UP Warriorz pulled Harleen Deol out on 47 during a tight chase with Delhi Capitals.
“It’s going to spark a fair bit of debate in terms of how people view it. I think for me, it’s just another tool and another strategic option to use,” Devine said during a Giants media call. “At the end of the day, those decisions are always made with the team coming first and what’s going to be best for the team to be able to gain momentum. Some people will love it, some people will hate it. I think it’s a great option to be able to use.”
Use of the law isn’t new. In 2026 alone six men’s franchise games have featured a batter walking off for tactical reasons – Northern Districts even did it in consecutive overs in New Zealand’s Super Smash, while Melbourne Renegades withdrew Mohammad Rizwan during a Big Bash League match against Sydney Thunder.
“I hope that players that do get retired out can see it in a positive light that they want to be able to contribute to the team and they’re doing what’s best for the team,” Devine said. “It’s a really tricky one because I guess it’s never nice if you are retired out. But I think we will see more of it. We’re obviously starting to see a little bit more in the men’s game as well, and I think the women’s game will follow suit.”
As with any tactic, it can misfire. UP’s decision to withdraw Deol, made with three overs left and the score 141 for 4, back-ended their innings; they mustered only 13 runs and lost four wickets in the final stretch. Devine accepted that risk. “You’re not always going to get it right, and that’s just like any decision in cricket, whether that be the bowler that you bring on or the shot that you choose to play, there’s always going to be times where it comes off and it doesn’t come off, and that’s just part and parcel of playing a game,” she said.
The Giants have no Impact Player rule to fall back on, something Devine is comfortable with. “Obviously, we don’t have the Impact Player rule [unlike the IPL]. I am more of a fan of being able to retire people out rather than having an impact player, because I like the idea that you can do all skills, or certainly bat and still be able to go on the field. So yeah, I think it will be something that will become more and more common.”
In practice, teams seem to reach for the ploy when a set batter has slowed or the conditions suddenly favour a left-hand/right-hand switch. Devine conceded the tactic loses relevance if the player in the middle is already striking at a healthy rate. “In saying that, if players are being able to stay at a good strike rate, yeah, I guess you probably don’t need to use it as much. So it is really interesting to see how different teams will use it, but I think to have that as an option is something that should only be seen as a positive.”
Whether fans embrace or reject it may matter less than how quickly sides learn to employ it smartly. For now, the retired-out remains legal, occasionally controversial, and, in Devine’s words, “just another tool” in an ever-evolving format.
