Why Sophie Devine prefers ‘retired out’ over ‘Impact Player’ rule:Gujarat Giants superstar says ‘It’s a good tool to retire people out’

Retiring out players has become a growing trend in T20 cricket. Just 16 days into 2026 and we already have had eight instances of players being retired out this year. Two of these examples come from the WPL, with Ayush Soni and Harleen Deol being the players to have been retired out in the tournament. New Zealand great Sophie Devine feels that this practice of retiring out players will ‘become more and more common’ in T20 cricket and called it a ‘great option to be able to use’. Devine is currently playing for the Gujarat Giants in WPL 2026 and has been in impeccable form with both bat and ball. ‘Prefer retired out over Impact Player rule’: Sophie Devine The New Zealand women’s T20 World Cup-winning captain said that she preferred the ‘retired out’ tactic over the ‘Impact Player’ rule, which has been in the IPL (Indian Premier League) since being introduced in 2023. Devine explained that even after retiring out, a player can still perform other roles (bowling, fielding), something that is not possible in the case of an ‘Impact Player’. “The exciting thing is how teams want to use it and the impact that that can have. As you say, obviously, we don’t have the impact player, which I’m probably more so a fan of being able to retire people out rather than having an impact player because I like the idea that you can do all skills or certainly bat and still be able to go on field,” the star all-rounder said, while answering Bhaskar English’s question at a press conference before Gujarat Giants’ clash against RCB. Also read: UP Warriorz secure maiden WPL 2026 victory against Mumbai Indians: Harleen Deol’s quickfire 64 led UPW’s 7-wicket win, marking comeback after ‘retiring out’ ‘Good tool to retire people out’: Sophie Devine feels that ‘retired out’ tactic will become ‘more and more common’ The WPL witnessed its first-ever instance of a player being retired out when Ayush Soni was called back by the Gujarat Giants in their match against the Mumbai Indians in WPL 2026 on 13 January. Soni, who made her WPL debut in that game, could not get going and only made 11 off 14 balls before the Gujarat management decided to retire her out for the team to finish their first innings on a high. Days later, UP Warriorz retired out Harleen Deol in their match against Delhi Capitals. “It’s going to spark a fair bit of debate in terms of how people view it,” Devine said, adding, “For me, it’s just another tool and another strategic option to use – to be able to retire people out. At the end of the day, those decisions are always made with the team coming first and what’s going to be best for the team to be able to gain momentum.” “Some people will love it, some people will hate it. But I think it’s a great option to be able to use. I hope that players who do get retired out can see it in a positive light that they want to be able to contribute to the team and they’re doing what’s best for the team. I guess we will see more of it,” she stated. Devine also added that this move is just like any other in the game- at times it might work and at times, it might not. In Ayush Soni’s case, the move turned out to be a good one as her replacement Bharti Fulmali smashed 36 runs off 15 balls. Despite Gujarat losing eventually, the decision in itself was a smart one for that situation. However, in Harleen Deol’s case, the decision backfired. After she was called back by UP Warriorz against Delhi Capitals, the batting saw a slide as no other player below her could score more than 11 runs. “It’s a good tool to be able to retire people out. You’re not always going to get it right. And that’s just like any decision in cricket, whether that be the bowler that you bring on or the shot that you choose to play, there’s always going to be times where it comes off, and it doesn’t come off,” the 36-year-old opined. Also read: Delhi Capitals beat UP Warriorz by 7 wickets: Jemimah’s maiden win as skipper; Shafali Verma puts on all-round show

‘No regrets’ says Sophie Devine after missing out on scoring WPL’s first-ever century Devine has been in sensational form with both bat and ball in WPL 2026. The all-rounder is Gujarat Giants’ highest run-scorer as well as highest wicket-taker and played a crucial role in her side winning two out of three matches so far. Against the Delhi Capitals on 11 January, Devine smashed 95 off 42 balls, which included hitting 32 runs in one over (joint-most expensive in WPL history). Later, defended seven runs off the final over to win the match for Gujarat Giants. The WPL, in its fourth edition, is yet to witness a century and Devine has come close twice. Against Delhi, she went for a wild slog on 95 and was caught by Sree Charani off Nandni Sharma. When asked if she regretted playing the big shot instead of just nudging the ball to get to her hundred, she said, “No regrets. I got that same question from Kim Garth after the game, who asked, ‘Why don’t you just work it around, get some singles and get to the hundred?’ But for me, it will probably go against how I played in that innings. It doesn’t make sense to slow down and take singles. It doesn’t help the team. And for me, milestones aren’t as important as making the team win and getting the team in a good position.”