From Kohli to Ashwin: Indian Cricket Stars Who Retired in 2024

This year, 2024 has been quite an emotional one for the Indian cricket fans. Even though India failed to clinch the ICC ODI World Cup 2023, it did brеak its ICC trophy drought by clinching the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 with Rohit Sharma as the captain. It also marked the retirement of three legendary players from T20 cricket as well. Also, more than seven Indian cricketers have bid farewell to international cricket this year. Let’s look at them all.

1. Saurabh Tiwary (Retired from all formats)

Saurabh Tiwary, the former Indian cricketer was the first player to announce his retirement in 2024. The left-handed batsman playеd First-Class cricket for Jharkhand as a batter for a period of 17 years and was also a part of the IPL until the year 2021. He was in India’s ODI squad for three matches in 2010 where he managed to get 49 runs but was get another chance to represent national team. Due to his weak performance in the domеstic cricket, Tiwary revealed his retirement on February 2024, at the end of the Ranji Trophy 2023-24 season.

2. Varun Aaron (Retired from all formats) 

Jharkhand’s right arm fast bowler Varun Aaron also announced his retirement from cricket at the end of the Ranji Trophy season 2023-24. Aaron was renowned for his capability to deliver the ball at a fast pace which made him quite a promising player however he was not without his woes as he struggled with injuries. He was in India’s Test squad for nine Tests and nine ODIs between 2011 and 2015 and had 29 wickets to his name in international cricket. 

3. Dinesh Karthik (Retired from all formats)

Dinesh Karthik who made his debut for India in September 2004 played his last match for India at the ICC T20 World Cup which was held in Australia in the year 2022. In his career, he has appeared in 26 Tests, 94 ODIs and 60 T20Is for a score of 3,463 runs wherein he has scored one century as well as 17 half-centuries. After the еnd of IPL 2024, Karthik announced his retirement from international cricket, domestic cricket and the IPL, marking the end of an illustrious journey.

4. Kedar Jadhav (Retired from all formats)

Kedar Jadhav has also announced his retirement from all forms of cricket on June 2024. The 39 years old played for India 73 ODIs and 9 T20Is and was not only an integral part of the Indian batting line up but was also a useful spin bowler who took 27 wickets in the ODIs at an average of 42. In the IPL, Jadhav appeared in 95 matches for five different teams which proves his versatility as a player who can bat well in the middle order and also chip in with his bowling skills by bowling some overs.

5. Virat Kohli (T20Is)

Virat Kohli is one of the most famous people in the world and his decision to step down from T20I was a massive blow to his followers. In his final match for India in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 against South Africa, Kohli revealed that he would be retiring from T20 International cricket. He had his first T20I game in 2010 against Zimbabwe and appeared in 125 games. He had an average of 48. 69 with one hundred and 38 half-centuries as he made 4188 runs. 

6. Rohit Sharma (T20Is)

Rohit Sharma also stepped down from the T20I format after the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 where he led India to the title. Rohit was India’s leading run scorer in the tournament with 257 runs at an astonishing strike rate of 156.70. He was the all-time highest run-getter in the T20Is by the time of his retirement in 159 matches played for his country and 4,231 runs scored at the strike rate of 140.89. Some of his T20I numbers include 5 centuries, 32 half centuries and 205 sixes which is the most by any player in T20Is.

7. Ravindra Jadeja (T20Is)

The veteran Indian all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja was the third Indian player to step down from the T20I format after the team’s triumph at the ICC T20 World Cup 2024. The all-rounder wasn’t in his best form in the tournament but he was one of the vital players of the team for more than a decade due to the symmetry he offered. Jadeja had played 74 T20Is since his debut in the year 2009. He was not only an integral part of the team as a bowler where he took 54 wickets at an economy rate of 7.13 but also contributed with the bat to score 515 runs. 

8. Shikhar Dhawan (Retired from all formats)

The opening batsman of the Indian cricket team Shikhar Dhawan who last played for India in December 2022 has formally resigned from all types of cricket including the IPL on August 2024. Dhawan who was instrumental to India’s ICC Champions Trophy win in 2013 was an integral part of the Indian team from 2010 to 2022. In his international career which ended in 2022, Dhawan appeared in 34 Tests, 167 ODIs and 68 T20Is wherein he scored 10,867 runs at an average of 42.28 including 24 centuries and 55 half-centuries. This retirement signifies the end of one of the great careers.

9. Barinder Sran (Retired from all formats)

The left-arm pace bowler from Punjab, Barinder Sran decided to call it quits at the age of 31. He had a good start to his career as he was included in the T20I squad in June 2016 against Zimbabwe and he made his debut in that format. He became the first Indian men’s player to pick up 4 wickets for ten or fewer runs in his first T20I match. Unfortunately, this was not the beginning of a great career for Sran. Sran appeared for six ODIs and two T20Is wherein he was able to pick up a total of 13 wickets.

10. Wriddhiman Saha (Retired from all formats)

On Sunday, 03 November 2024, Indian wicketkeeper-batsman Wriddhiman Saha made it known that he was retiring from both international and domestic cricket, thus aiming to conclude his career at the end of the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy. Saha played 40 Tests and 9 ODIs for India between the years 2010 and 2021 and was not an aggressive batter. He was a consistent batsman and had scored 1,353 runs in Tests out of which he had hit 3 centuries. In the ODIs, he could only make 41 runs in five innings that he played. He was never in the limelight as MS Dhoni and Rishabh Pant were there to overshadow him. His last game for India was at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai in the year 2021, in a Test match against New Zealand. 

11. Siddarth Kaul (Retired from all formats)

On 28th November 2024 Indian bowler Siddarth Kaul decided to retire from the international cricket. The 34 years old from Punjab represented three ODIs and three T20Is for India in T20Is got four wickets in T20Is and none in ODIs.

12. Ravichandran Ashwin

After India’s third test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25 in Brisbane, spin-bowling all-rounder Ravi Ashwin announced his retirement from international cricket. Ashwin, who made his debut in the year 2010 played 106 tests, 116 ODIs and 65 T20Is in which he took 537, 156 and 72 wickets respectively. He was also a decent batter who scored 3503 runs in tests with six hundreds and fourteen fifty. He also has the record of having most number of Man of the Series awards in test cricket along with Muttiah Muralitharan that is 11.

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