"Shubman was getting tired"- Simon Doull makes bold comment on the retired out rule after Gill's 94* against LSG

Former New Zealand fast bowler and well-known commentator Simon Doull has been quite vocal about batters' playing for their milestones' in T20 cricket. He had already questioned big names like Babar Azam and Virat Kohli for apparently slowing down as they got closer to their half-century in a T20 game.

In the match between the Gujarat Titans (GT) and the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on Sunday, opener Shubman Gill batted the entire innings and remained unbeaten on 94*. Although this helped the Titans post a mammoth target of 228, Doull claimed that they could have gone further had Rahul Tewatia faced some deliveries.

Speaking to Cricbuzz, Simon Doull explained the importance of the retired out rule and why teams should use it to ensure that their big hitters get the right entry point. He said:

“Shubman was getting tired. He wasn't able to hit the boundaries at much as he could. And it can happen. Listen...it might be controversial, but I am waiting for the day when a bloke gets 75 or 80 off 45 balls and is cooked after the afternoon heat which is 45 degrees and hence quite can't get there so he says 'Okay Tewatia, you are out there.' Retire him out.”

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Hundred is a hundred only if you win: Simon Doull

Simon Doull also shed light on how milestones should not be important for an individual or the team even if that milestone is a T20 hundred. He feels a hundred is only valuable when it comes in a winning cause.

On this, Doull stated:

“I'm saying time and time again, milestones don't matter in this game. I know people will still say hundred is a hundred. Yes it is, but it's a hundred if you win. If you lose, it means jack. I feel were just quite there when a guy says that he is tired and is not able to hit the boundaries. And if you have ammunition in the bank then why not use it."

So far, only Ravichandran Ashwin has made use of the 'retired out' rule during the IPL 2022 season.