'We still had firepower' – UP Warriorz defend Harleen Deol retired out

UP Warriorz's Harleen Deol became the latest player to be retired out in the Women's Premier League, scoring a 36-ball 47 against Delhi Capitals before retiring at the start of the 18th over.

Warriorz mentor Lisa Sthalekar explained the decision, citing assistant coach Abhishek Nayar's tactical input. "He's a real student of the game… He turned to me and said, 'I think it's time we need to potentially bring Harleen off'," Sthalekar said. "Another over came and she just wasn't able to get that swing, that power to clear the boundary."

Sthalekar initially questioned the move after Meg Lanning's dismissal, noting it would bring two new batters to the crease. However, with 24 deliveries remaining, the team backed their remaining firepower. "We still felt with Chloe Tryon, S Asha, Sophie Ecclestone, that we still had firepower."

The move backfired as Warriorz added only 13 runs in the final 18 balls, ultimately losing off the last ball.

Harleen is the eighth player across global T20 leagues in 2026 to be retired out. Results have been mixed: teams have won only twice in eight instances this year. In one example, Pretoria Capitals retired Roston Chase (24 off 15 balls), but Sherfane Rutherford fell for a duck and the team added only 10 runs in the final 10 balls.

Conversely, when Gujarat Giants retired Ayushi Soni on Tuesday, Bharti Fulmali blasted 36 off 15 balls, adding 54 runs in 24 balls.

The rationale is straightforward: specialized power-hitters are trained to attack from ball one, and retiring a set batter can maximize resources. "If you're trying to capitalise on the last few overs, you want the balls clearing the boundaries with ease," Sthalekar noted.

However, it's not a one-size-fits-all approach. Even Kieron Pollard once walked off after struggling to 8 off 16 balls for West Indies in 2021 (though he returned to bat later under older rules).

The human element remains challenging. Gujarat Giants coach Michael Klinger acknowledged it's "tough on the individual" after retiring Ayushi Soni on her WPL debut.

Harleen had played well on a turning surface, countering spinners with sweeps and cuts. Whether she could have accelerated remains unknown, but her retirement aligns with modern T20's phase-specific batting roles.

As T20 evolves, retired outs may become more common. Sthalekar concluded: "The game keeps evolving, and if we keep getting stuck in the past, then someone's going to catch us up."