Rohit Sharma retired hurt or retired out: India skipper shows excellent game sense

PTI, Jan 18, 2024, 10:15 AM IST

Was Rohit Sharma retired hurt or retired out? It was the question on everybody’s mind as the Indian skipper walked back before the last ball of the first Super Over during third and final T20 against Afghanistan, which the hosts eventually won to bag the series 3-0.

As it turned out, it was pure gamesmanship from Rohit as India needed two runs from one ball to win at that stage and he wanted to use the better running abilities of third batter Rinku Singh to eke out that extra run. But the tone of the question intensified as Rohit walked out again to open the innings in the company of Rinku in the second Super Over.

As per the rules, once a batter is deemed retired out, he cannot come out to bat again if another Super Over is needed to decide the outcome of the match. So, how did Rohit manage to bat again in the second Super Over? A match official later explained that if the opposition captain or coach do not have any objection, a batsman can bat again in the second Super Over. India head coach Rahul Dravid found a parallel for Rohit in R. Ashwin, who did a similar tactical swap during an IPL 2022 match between Rajasthan Royals and Lucknow Super Giants.

“It was Ash-level thinking. Taking himself out was Ash-level thinking,” Dravid told the host broadcaster. However, Afghanistan coach Jonathan Trott hinted at minimal communication between officials and the players as the whole episode panned out.

“I have no idea (whether Rohit retired hurt or out). Has there ever been two Super Overs? That’s what I am trying to say. We keep setting these new rules. What I am trying to say is we kept testing the rules, we kept testing the guidelines,” said Trott in the post-match press meet.

Trott stressed his point saying that the rule about the use of bowlers in Super Overs too was not conveyed to them properly. Afghanistan wanted to use Azmatullah Omarzai in the second Super Over but since the pacer had already bowled the first Super Over, he was ineligible to operate a second time. “It was not communicated (the rule). We wanted Azmat to bowl the second over again, but Fareed (Ahmad) bowled a great over. But these things will be explained and done in writing in the future.

”If those are the rules, that’s great. I just think we had a good game, and I don’t think that (rules) should be the talking point,” he added.

However, Trott, an experienced coach and a former player of repute, might just have forgotten that the Super Over rules are in vogue since 2019, and there is no need for an external entity to send reminders. But there was another flash point in the game when Afghan batters Mohammed Nabi and Rahmanullah Gurbaz ran three runs after wicketkeeper Sanju Samson’s throw deflected off Nabi’s legs. It helped Afghanistan to score 16 in the first Super Over. But Rohit was quick to express his displeasure to Nabi and the umpires. However, Dravid did not fuss too much about it. “It’s part of the game. There will be some frustrations and at times things happen, but it’s okay. Obviously, the ball hit the non-striker, and then it moved.

”In the first T20, I think the ball hit the back of one of our batsmen and we ran as well. So, I think there’s nothing to read into it. Nothing in the rules stops you from running those runs. So, that’s fine,” he said.