India Leg-Spinner Announces Retirement From All Cricket At 38

Indian leg-spinner Karn Sharma announced his retirement from international and domestic cricket at the age of 38
Sharma will play his final professional match during the Lucknow leg of the UP T20 League on August 25
The Railways bowler represented India in one Test, two ODIs, and one T20I match during his international career

Leg-spinner Karn Sharma has retired. The 38-year-old ended his international and domestic cricket career after representing India in four matches. His brief international run featured one Test, two ODIs and a single T20I.

Sharma confirmed his retirement late Saturday. He spoke after a UP T20 League game featuring Kanpur Superstars and Meerut Mavericks. The bowler will make his final appearance on August 25 during the final Lucknow leg fixture for his team.

“I now want to retire. I am extremely grateful to my family, BCCI, Railways, UPCA, Andhra, Vidarbha Cricket Association and everyone who has supported me throughout this journey,” Sharma said.

“After this, I will be available for coaching and other responsibilities related to the game of cricket,” he added.

Rise Through Domestic Cricket

Sharma began his domestic career during the 2007-08 season across first-class, List A and T20 formats, initially developing as an all-rounder.

He registered a century on his Ranji Trophy debut. He broke through during the 2012-13 Ranji Trophy season. During three Ranji Trophy appearances that year, he claimed 21 wickets at a 19.04 average, which earned him the BCCI’s Best Under-25 Cricketer honor.

This domestic success yielded a massive contract at the 2014 IPL auction. Sunrisers Hyderabad purchased him for Rs 3.75 crore, making Sharma the most expensive uncapped Indian player at that time.

Brief International Career

The spinner earned his T20I debut during India’s 2014 tour of England. He dismissed Joe Root to claim his sole wicket in the shortest format. Following this, he debuted in ODIs during the home series against Sri Lanka.

He featured in the famous match in which Rohit Sharma smashed 264 runs. He played one more ODI but finished wicketless in both outings.

Later in 2014, Sharma made his Test debut against Australia in Adelaide. He captured two wickets in each innings to finish with four wickets.

The national selectors picked him for the 2015 limited-overs tour of Zimbabwe. However, an injury ruled him out, effectively concluding his brief international career.

Three Consecutive IPL Titles

Sharma dominated the Indian Premier League. The leg-spinner became the first player in league history to win three consecutive championship titles with three different franchises.

He moved frequently in domestic cricket. He turned out for Vidarbha during the 2017-18 season and migrated to Andhra for the 2018-19 cycle before rejoining Railways.

Mumbai Indians handed him his final IPL appearance in 2025. He subsequently represented Railways across all formats during the 2025-26 domestic calendar.

Sharma departs with formidable domestic statistics. He claimed 270 wickets at an average of 27.60 across 97 first-class matches, taking 14 five-wicket hauls. He also scored 2,866 runs in 138 innings, including two centuries and 17 fifties.

In 123 List A fixtures, he captured 153 wickets with three five-wicket hauls and struck one century and six half-centuries. His overall T20 record comprises 168 wickets in 191 matches, featuring 83 dismissals in 90 IPL appearances, alongside two fifties in T20 cricket.

This article first appeared on Outlook India and was syndicated with permission.

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