Retired hurt in cricket is when a batter leaves the field mid-innings because of injury or illness. The key point is that it is not a dismissal, so the batting side loses no wicket.
But that is only half the story. A second kind of retirement can actually hand the fielding side a wicket on purpose, and whether an injured batter ever returns comes down to one simple difference that many fans get wrong. Here is how it all works.
Can a Substitute Replace a Retired Hurt Batter?
No. A normal substitute may only field, never bat or bowl, so no one takes the retired hurt batter's spot at the crease. The one exception is a concussion substitute, allowed only for a head injury. Either way, no wicket is lost.
How Does Retired Hurt Work?
A batter who is hurt or unwell can leave the field at any point in their innings. No permission is needed, and the moment is not treated as a wicket falling.
Their innings simply pauses there. The next batter comes in to keep the score moving, while the injured player heads off for treatment.
In club cricket, I have watched teammates retire hurt after a sharp blow, then sit anxiously on the boundary, not knowing if they will get the chance to bat again.
Retired Hurt vs Retired Out:
The confusing part is that there are two kinds of retirement, and only one is caused by injury. The reason a batter leaves decides everything that follows.
Aspect | Retired Hurt | Retired Out |
|---|---|---|
Reason | Injury or illness | Any other reason |
Counts as a wicket? | No | Yes |
Can the batter return? | Yes, at the next wicket | Only by agreement |
Retired hurt is for injury or illness and costs no wicket. Retired out covers any other reason and is recorded as a dismissal.
When Can a Batter Return After Retiring Hurt?
A retired hurt batter can come back when the next wicket falls, or if a partner also retires. They pick up their innings exactly where they left off, on the same score.
If the innings ends before they can return, their turn is simply over, with no penalty at all, since the injury was outside their control.
Why Would a Batter Retire Out?
Retiring out is usually a tactic, not an injury. In T20 cricket, a set batter sometimes retires out on purpose to send in a bigger hitter for the closing overs.
It is a bold move, since it hands the fielding side a wicket. But if the new batter scores faster, the trade can pay off in a tight run chase.
Conclusion:
Retired hurt is simple once you separate it from retired out. Leave the field injured and you lose no wicket and can return later. Walk off for any other reason and it counts as a dismissal. That one distinction is the whole rule, and it is the part most fans get wrong.
(FAQs):
Q1: Can an injured batter use a runner?
A: No, not in professional cricket. Runners, where another player ran between the wickets for an injured batter, were scrapped in international cricket in 2011. Now the batter must carry on or retire hurt.
Q2: Does the bowler get a wicket if a batter retires out?
A: No. Retired out counts as a dismissal against the batter, but no bowler or fielder is credited for it, much like a run out.
Q3: What does "retired not out" mean?
A: It is how the scorebook records a batter who retired hurt and could not return before the innings ended. It is not a dismissal, so it does not count as a wicket.
Q4: Can a batter retire hurt in any format?
A: Yes. Retired hurt applies in Tests, one-day cricket, and T20 alike, since injury or illness can strike a batter in any type of game.
Q5: Who decides when a retired batter can return?
A: A retired hurt batter simply resumes at the next wicket or retirement. A retired out batter can only return if the opposing captain agrees to it.
