Retired Hurt in Cricket — Rules, Retired Out & the Difference Explained

A batsman can **retire** from their innings at any time — but the circumstances determine whether they can return. The key distinction in cricket Law is between **retired hurt** (involuntary, due to injury or illness) and **retired out** (voluntary, a strategic choice). They are recorded differently in scorecards and have very different consequences.

Retired Hurt (or Ill)

Under Law 25.4, a batter can retire hurt if they are incapacitated by injury, illness, or other unavoidable cause. Key rules:

• **Consent required:** The fielding side's captain must consent to the batter retiring during an over. Consent is almost always given immediately.
• **Can return:** A batter retired hurt can **return to the innings later** — as long as a wicket has fallen or the last batting partner has been dismissed. They resume their innings at the fall of the next wicket.
• **Not out:** A retired hurt batter is recorded as 'retired hurt' in the scorecard — it does not count as a dismissal.
• **Scorecard:** The scorecard shows 'retired hurt' or 'retired ill' — typically abbreviated as 'ret hurt' alongside the player's score.

Retired Out

**Retired out** is a voluntary decision — a batsman can choose to retire at any point, giving the batting side tactical flexibility. However:

• **Counts as dismissal:** Unlike retired hurt, retired out IS counted as a wicket — the batting side loses a wicket when a batsman retires out.
• **Rarely used:** Retired out is used occasionally in cricket when a team wants to declare informally (in some domestic formats) or when a captain needs to rotate strike in an unusual situation.
• **Famous example:** In 2019, a South Africa A batter 'retired out' in a four-day match to allow a young batter to get experience in the middle — legitimately unusual but entirely within the Laws.

Retired Hurt in Practice

Retired hurt is relatively common in Test cricket — balls routinely strike batsmen on the helmet, hand, or body. A batsman who has scored a century and taken a blow to the thumb might retire hurt temporarily, have the injury assessed, and return once medical staff have given clearance. The innings continues uninterrupted with the next batter.