Chennai Super Kings (CSK) opener Devon Conway became the latest addition to a rare tactical list in the Indian Premier League (IPL) history—players who have been retired out. The incident occurred during the match against Punjab Kings (PBKS) on April 8, 2025, in Mullanpur during the 22nd match of IPL 2025.
Conway, who was batting on 69 off 49 balls, struggled to accelerate in the death overs. With 49 runs needed off 19 balls, the CSK management made a bold call on the penultimate ball of the 18th over, asking Conway to walk back. In his place, Ravindra Jadeja came in to finish the chase. The move was applauded by some and questioned by others, as it signaled growing acceptance of “retire out” as a strategic weapon.
With this, Conway joined the following list of players who have been retired out in IPL history:
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Ravichandran Ashwin vs LSG, Wankhede (2022)
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Atharva Taide vs DC, Dharamshala (2023)
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Sai Sudharsan vs MI, Ahmedabad (2023)
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Tilak Varma vs LSG, Lucknow (2025)
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Devon Conway vs PBKS, Mullanpur (2025)*
Just a few days earlier, Mumbai Indians’ Tilak Varma had become the fourth player to be retired out. Facing Lucknow Super Giants in a tight game, Tilak was pulled back to the dugout after a sluggish 25 off 23 balls, with Mitchell Santner replacing him. The decision sparked online debate, with fans criticizing Hardik Pandya and coach Mahela Jayawardene for the timing.
However, Jayawardene later defended the decision, calling it “purely tactical” and reflective of modern T20 strategies. “In the modern age, it’s more tactical… Tilak was trying and couldn’t get going in Lucknow. It was my decision to throw someone else to get to those two hits,” he said in a pre-match presser.
With Conway now becoming the fifth player to be tactically retired out, IPL teams seem to be leaning into this method as a legitimate late-game strategy—possibly redefining roles and expectations from set batters in crunch chases.
