In cricket, a batsman may retire from an innings at any time when the ball is dead; they must then be replaced by a teammate who has not been dismissed). Retirement is covered by Law 25 of the Laws of Cricket, which distinguishes between two types of retirement):
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Retired - not out: If the batsman is ill or injured, they are considered retired - not out and are permitted to return to batting if they recover. This situation is officially recorded on the scorecard as "retired - not out," and the batsman is considered not out for statistical purposes, such as when calculating a batting average.
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Retired - out: If a batsman retires for any other reason, or without the umpires permission, they are considered to have forfeited their wicket and are therefore out. Unless the opposing captain offers an exemption, the retired batsmen may not return.
A retired hurt batter can return to finish off their innings, after the fall of the wicket or when a new batter is required. However, a batter cannot return to the crease when they are retired out. Retired out is more of a tactical move while retired hurt is a forced move due to injury or illness.
