A retirement from Indian cricket is announced by Siddarth Kaul

Fast bowler Siddarth Kaul has officially announced his retirement from Indian cricket, marking the end of a remarkable 17-year career that began with his first-class debut in Mohali. The 34-year-old pacer, who represented India in three ODIs and as many T20Is, shared the emotional news on Instagram.

Reflecting on his journey, Kaul wrote: “I dreamed of representing my country when I was a kid playing cricket in the Punjabi fields. With God’s help, I realized that dream in 2018 and was awarded India’s T20I cap number 75 and ODI cap number 221. Now, the time has come for me to step away and announce my retirement from Indian cricket.”

Being a member of India’s winning Under-19 World Cup team in 2008, captained by Virat Kohli, was a high point of Kaul’s career. Over the years, he remained a mainstay in Punjab’s white-ball teams on the domestic circuit, showcasing his skill and consistency. His contributions were pivotal in Punjab’s triumph in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy during the 2023-24 season, where he emerged as the team’s leading wicket-taker with 16 scalps in 10 matches. In the Vijay Hazare Trophy the previous season, Kaul led Punjab’s bowling rankings as well.

Earlier this year, Kaul had a brief stint with Northamptonshire in the County Championship, playing three matches. Also, he played in two Ranji Trophy matches this season, although he did not take any wickets. Kaul averaged 26.77 while taking 297 wickets in 88 games during his first-class career.

Kaul participated in 55 games for the Delhi Daredevils, Sunrisers Hyderabad, and Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League. His standout performances for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the 2017 and 2018 seasons, where he claimed 37 wickets, earned him a call-up to India’s squad for the UK tour in 2018. Kaul played his final international match in February 2019 and was a member of India’s winning Asia Cup campaign that year.