3 Instances when Ravi Ashwin made headlines for his out-of-the-box thinking

3. Retired out in IPL 2022 vs Lucknow Super Giants

In the latest edition of the IPL, Ravi Ashwin’s gambit was truly ‘historic’ because it happened for the first time in the history of IPL, and it also helped Rajasthan Royals to post a decent total which helped them win the close encounter. Ravi Ashwin opted for retiring out when he was batting on 28 from 23 balls in the 19th over against Lucknow Super Giants, to let Riyan Parag up the ante in the middle with Shimron Hetmyer.

Royals captain Sanju Samson said Ashwin’s clever act was a “team decision”. ”It’s about being Rajasthan Royals (Ashwin’s retired out). We keep trying different things,” Samson said after RR’s three-run victory. “Have been talking about it before the season. We thought that if some situation occurs, we can use it. It was a team decision,” he added.  According to cricket laws, “Batters are allowed to retire at any time of the innings when the ball is dead after informing the umpires”.

Analysts have often indicated retiring a batter who is having difficulty scoring, rapidly helps teams in T20 cricket. West Indies’ cricketer Ian Bishop tweeted: “Ashwin retired out is fascinating T20 tactics. T20 is causing us to rethink the way we conceive the game in the 21st century.”

All in all, It is fair to say that Ravi Ashwin is not only an experienced campaigner and a modern-day cricketing legend but also an innovative tactician and a true entertainer of the game.