Senior Uttar Pradesh pacer Ankit Rajpoot, who also represented many franchises in the Indian Premier League (IPL), announced his retirement from Indian cricket on December 16 (Monday). At the age of 31, the premature retirement might come as a shocker for many, but Rajpoot explained that he wanted to explore other opportunities away from India.
"Today, with immense gratitude & humility, I announce my retirement from Indian Cricket. My journey from 2009-2024 has been the most wonderful period of my life. I am grateful for the opportunities given to me by the Board of Control for India, Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association, Kanpur Cricket Association, IPL franchise Chennai Super Kings, Kolkata Knight Riders, Kings 11 [Punjab], Rajasthan Royals, and Lucknow Super Giants,” Rajpoot said in his retirement note.
The Kanpur-born speedster represented India A, Rest of India and was also part of the Challenger Trophy teams such as India Blue and Green apart from his IPL stints with CSK, KKR, PBKS and RR.
In total, the lanky pacer played 80 First-Class matches, 50 List-A games and 97 T20s, picking a combined total of 424 wickets in Indian cricket. In the IPL, Rajpoot was part of 29 matches in which he picked up 24 wickets with his last appearance coming in 2020. His last match for UP was in a Ranji Trophy game against Haryana in October 2024.
"I am excited to announce that I will be exploring new opportunities in the world of cricket & the business side of it, where I will also continue to participate in the sport that I love and challenge myself in a new and different environment. I believe that this is the next step in my journey as a Cricketer and I look forward to this new chapter in my life. I wish the best of luck to all the teammates from the various teams I've been a part of,” added Rajpoot about his plans.
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