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.