‘Cricket Will Always Remain Within me’: Piyush Chawla, India’s Two-Time World Cup Winner, Announces Retirement From All Forms of Cricket

Piyush Chawla Retires: In what can be called as an end of an era, veteran India cricketer Piyush Chawla announced his retirement from all forms of cricket. He took to social space to make the announcement public on Friday afternoon. In his heartfelt retirement post, Chawla thanked his fans for all the support and he also thanked the IPL franchises he was a part off. 

The 36-year old was a member of India’s T20 World Cup and ODI World Cup-winning squads in 2007 and 2011. Chawla was part of the Indian team in three Tests, 25 ODIs and seven T20Is, taking 43 across all three formats of the game.

Sharing the statement on Instagram, Piyush Chawla wrote, “Closing this chapter with Gratitude !! Retiring from all formats of the game, thank you, everyone, for your support throughout this beautiful journey.”

“A heartfelt thank you to the IPL franchises who placed their trust in me – Punjab Kings, Kolkata Knight Riders, Chennai Super Kings, and Mumbai Indians. The Indian Premier League has been a truly special chapter in my career, and I have cherished every moment playing in it. I owe my deepest gratitude to my coaches – Shri K.K. Gautam and Late Shri Pankaj Saraswat – for nurturing and shaping me into the cricketer I became,” excerpt of his lengthy Instagram post.

“To my family, my eternal pillar of strength: your unwavering support has been my foundation through all the highs and lows. A special mention to my late father, whose belief in me lit the path I walked. Without him, this journey would never have been possible.

I also thank the BCCI, the UPCA (Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association), and the GCA (Gujarat Cricket Association) for providing me with the platform and opportunities to evolve and express myself as a cricketer,” Chawla’s post also read. 

For the unversed, he may not have played a lot of T20Is, but he was truly an IPL legend. He took 192 wickets in the IPL – the second-highest wicket-taker among Indian spinners, and won the title with Kolkata Knight Riders in 2014.