Vinay Kumar announces retirement from all forms of cricket
Legendary Karnataka pacer Vinay Kumar, who represented India in 41 international games, announced earlier today that he is retiring from all forms of the game and expressed that he was ‘fortunate’ to have played at the highest level. Kumar, 37, finished his stellar career with the Puducherry side.
Legendary Karnataka pacer Vinay Kumar announced earlier today that he is retiring from all forms of the game with immediate effect. Kumar, 37, made his first class-debut way back in 2004 and represented his home side Karnataka for 15 years before moving to Puducherry ahead of the 2019/20 domestic season, but announced earlier today that he has decided to hang his boots up permanently, bringing an end to a stellar career that lasted 17 years.
The right-arm medium pacer was a stalwart in first-class cricket, picking over 500 wickets, but while he only managed to play a solitary Test - versus Australia in Perth in 2012 - it was with the white-ball that he made a name for himself in world cricket. Kumar represented India in a total of 40 ODIs and T20I games between 2010 and 2013, picking a total of 48 wickets, and also established himself as one of the best pace bowlers in IPL history. The 37-year-old represented Royal Challengers Bangalore, Mumbai Indians, Kolkata Knight Riders, and the Kochi Tuskers Kerala and picked a remarkable 105 wickets in 105 matches, last featuring in the T20 extravaganza in the 2018 season.
The veteran seamer took to Twitter to express gratitude for the experiences he garnered and revealed that, in his 17-year-long journey, there were many a moment for him to cherish.
"I have been fortunate enough to represent my country at the highest level and give it all I had to this beautiful game. My journey has been filled with many moments that I will cherish lifelong. I came to Bangalore from Davangere to pursue my dreams. I am very grateful to Karnataka State Cricket Association for giving me the opportunity to represent the state team. From here I went on to play for India and represented the nation in all the formats of the game," read Kumar’s statement.
In his final first-class season, which came with Puducherry, Kumar picked up 45 wickets at an astounding average of 11.31, while also averaging 31.77 with the bat.
Thankyou all for your love and support throughout my career. Today I hang up my boots. 🙏🙏❤️ #ProudIndian pic.twitter.com/ht0THqWTdP
— Vinay Kumar R (@Vinay_Kumar_R) February 26, 2021