In a historic first for T20 cricket, two batters have been retired out in the identical innings throughout a Tremendous Smash contest between Northern Districts and Otago at Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui on Sunday.
Northern Districts’ middle-order batters Jeet Raval and Xavier Bell have been retired out within the seventeenth and 18th over, respectively, because the run chase threatened to develop into steeper.
With Northern Districts requiring 58 runs to win off 24 balls, Raval, batting on 23 off 28 balls, was retired out off the primary ball of the seventeenth over. After the primary supply of the next over, Bell, who was batting on 9 off 13 balls, endured the identical destiny.
The transfer labored as Northern Districts managed to safe a tie with skipper Ben Pomare and Scott Kuggeleijn chipping in with helpful cameos to take their group to 166 for six in 20 overs, stage with Otago.
The mode of dismissal has gained foreign money in latest instances, with groups prioritising scoring runs shortly over preserving wickets.
Although in 2010, Pakistan’s Shahid Afridi had develop into the primary batter in T20 cricket to be retired out, the mode of dismissal was popularised by Rajasthan Royals’ R. Ashwin in the course of the 2022 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Since then, 56 batters have been retired out, however by no means two in the identical innings, as was the case on Sunday.
Revealed on Jan 04, 2026