Leg-spinner Rahul Sharma announces retirement, says ‘Tendulkar remembered how badly I…’
The 35-year-old, who played for India from 2011 to 2012, wrote in an emotional post that the day has arrived for him to hang up boots from all forms of cricket.
India leg-spinner Rahul Sharma on Sunday announced his retirement from all forms of cricket. Rahul took to his official Twitter handle to share the news of his retirement.
The 35-year-old, who played for India from 2011 to 2012, wrote in an emotional post that the day has arrived for him to hang up boots from international as well as first-class cricket. He further expressed his gratitude to the BCCI and the Indian Premier League (IPL) for giving him the opportunity to play at the highest level.
“Today the day has come I am writing this letter with mixed emotions…From getting up early in the morning for training, scheduling my entire day around cricket & There was a time when I had battle with my injury but never give up on my hardwork …& trying to find out way to become a better player always has been my motivation & still keeps me going in my cricket journey..” he wrote.
He further expressed his thankfulness on having shared the dressing room with the likes of Gautam Gambhir, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, Virender Sehwag, MS Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh, Suresh Raina, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli. He also paid a heartfelt tribute to ‘Master Blaster’ Sachin Tendulkar, calling him an ‘inspiration’ and an ‘idol’ to his cricketing journey.
He went on to add, “I have always been honest to cricket with my hard work & determination. I can play this game with all my heart & energy for lifetime and more I am a firm believer in hard work and destiny and god has his own ways to give chance…He closes some doors but open many others..I would like to say that things have not been as smooth in last few 4-5years,. After recovering from my injury. I was continuously working hard but it’s unfortunate i couldn’t get a single chance at state level to showcase my bowling after recovering from my injury..”
Rahul also revealed his decision to continue playing in the Road Safety World Series after Tendulkar offered him a chance. He has battled with injuries for most of his short international career, with his final IPL appearance being in 2014. He further wrote, “Now I am ready for my new innings. Looking forward for second innings as a player & Looking forward for world’s league. With every end comes a new beginning. Lots of love to all my fans & well wisher ..keep supporting & stay blessed.”
Rahul Sharma career: 9 wickets in ODI & T20Is to 5 years in the IPL
Rahul has represented India across four One-Day Internationals and two T20Is, in which he picked six and three wickets, respectively. He also played in the IPL from 2010 to 2015, where he competed in multiple teams, including Deccan Chargers, Pune Warriors India, Delhi Daredevils, and Chennai Super Kings. As far as his first-class career is concerned, Rahul played 21 matches and scalped a total of 39 wickets at an average of 51.58.
