Shakib retired out on ILT20 debut

It was one of those rare, off-colour days for Bangladesh's ace all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan.

On his ILT20 debut, the 38-year-old, who usually draws attention for his all-round brilliance, became a talking point amongst fans for being retired out. 

Playing for MI Emirates alongside a cast of global stars, Shakib never quite settled with the bat after his side were sent in by the Sharjah Warriors. He walked in during the 12th over, joining Tom Banton with MI teetering at 84 for 3. A boundary off his third ball against Sikandar Raza hinted at a spark; another four off his sixth ball against Adil Rashid extended that hope. But that was about it.

What followed was a laboured stay -- 12 balls for 16 runs -- before Shakib opted to walk off at the end of the 16th over, calling time on an innings that never got going.

With this, Shakib became the 61st player to be retired out in recognised T20 cricket, and the second Bangladeshi after Sunzamul Islam, who was the third-ever globally when Comilla Warriors used the ploy against Chattogram Challengers in the 2019 Bangladesh Premier League.

Shakib's night didn't improve with the ball either, as he conceded 27 runs from his two overs. Yet, tactically, the move to retire him out worked wonders for MI Emirates. With fresh hitters at the crease, MI plundered 56 runs in the final four overs -- going at 14 an over -- to finish on 185 for 8, a total they defended to win by four runs.

While Shakib's retire out went on without drama, Sunzamul's case was quite quirky. It came in the 2019 BPL when Comilla's Sunzamul was retired out in a bizarre finish against Chattogram. Chasing 160, Comilla needed three off the final ball. Dawid Malan was run out with one ball to go, prompting Sunzamul to walk in. Moments later, team management pulled him back and sent Afghanistan's Mujeeb Ur Rahman instead. Mujeeb promptly smashed the last ball for four, sealing a two-wicket win and leaving Sunzamul officially marked as 'retired out' as per the laws.

The very first retired-out incident in T20 cricket traces back to Shahid Afridi in 2010, during Pakistanis' tour match against Northamptonshire. Chasing 134, Afridi arrived in the 11th over at 61 for 2 and unleashed a blistering 42 off 14 balls — six fours, two sixes — before retiring himself out in the 15th over to allow Abdul Razzaq some time in the middle.

According to ICC regulations, a batter may retire at any dead-ball moment after informing the umpires but cannot return unless the opposing captain permits it, which is rare. Unlike retired hurt, which results from injury or illness and allows a return, retired out is a tactical decision and is treated as a dismissal.