A batter is considered retired hurt or absent hurt after consulting with on-field umpires and can be due to injury or illness.
During a 2022 T20I match between West Indies and India, captain Rohit Sharma made headlines when he retired hurt after facing only five balls. Having hit a four and a six, he appeared to injure his lower back. After consulting the physio, he walked off with 11 runs. Suryakumar Yadav, his opening partner, took over and scored a match-winning 76. The BCCI confirmed Rohit had a back spasm, with the medical team monitoring his condition. Rohit later expressed optimism about recovering in time for the next match.
Meaning of retired hurt in cricket
According to the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) laws, a batter is considered retired hurt or absent hurt if unable to continue their innings due to injury, illness, or other unavoidable reasons. Approval from the on-field umpire is required to withdraw from the innings under such circumstances.
Can a retired hurt batter bat again?
A retired hurt batter may return to the crease if they recover before their team’s innings concludes. However, they can only resume their innings after the fall of a wicket or the retirement of another batter from their team.
What is the main difference between retired hurt and retired out in cricket?
Under the Marylebone Cricket Club’s (MCC) laws of cricket, a retired hurt batter is allowed to resume batting during their team’s innings if they recover, whereas a retired out batter is considered out and cannot return to bat.
