Former Team India paceman Manpreet Gony has announced retirement from all forms of cricket on Saturday. The lanky fast bowler made this announcement after making it to the Global T20 Canada league.
The Punjab paceman will partake in the second edition of the professional Twenty20 league while representing Toronto Nationals.
Interestingly, Nationals have also availed services of Yuvraj Singh, who bid adieu to the cricket on June 10.
The much-awaited league which boasts about marquee players will get underway on July 25.
Gony, who hung his boots, has represented India in two One-day Internationals back in 2008. The 35-year-old Rupanagar-based cricketer has managed to snare a couple of wickets which saw him conceding 76 runs.
The right-arm medium pacer made a debut against Hong Kong before playing his last international game on June 28 against Bangladesh.
Gony has featured in 90 T20 matches, 61 first-class fixtures and 51 List A games
Since 2007, Gony has bagged 196 wickets in a multi-day format which included a nine five-wicket hauls and ten four-wicket hauls.
So much so, his debut came in November 2007 when he took the field against Andhra Pradesh. Also, he played his last first-class game on January 7, 2019, against Bengal.
In the Indian Premier League (IPL), he represented three-time champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) between 2008 and 2010. The exciting paceman has turned out for now-defunct Deccan Chargers (DC) before representing Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) and already defunct Gujarat Lions (GL).
Gony, who bowled his heart out in the shortest version of the game too boasts about a solid record. He has featured against Railways on March 2, 2019, in his last T20 match. He holds a record of bowling as many as three maiden overs on the trot in a T20 fixture.
Besides, Gony had represented the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) for an extended period.
The injury-marred bowler had lost crucial time when he was peaking at the right time. In the past, he has himself lamented for losing crucial time during a rehabilitation programme. He added the spate of injuries hadn’t allowed him to make most of the opportunities.
“Injuries have marred my career. I couldn’t reach my potential due to injuries. I have had injuries all over my body and it becomes even difficult since I am a fast bowler,” Gony maintained in the past.
Manpreet proved to be an asset for Punjab:
Meanwhile, PCA spokesperson Sushil Kapoor has credited Gony for playing a massive role in helping Punjab on different aspects.
Sushil has hailed Gony for bringing in a wealth of experience in Punjab’s line-up. He added, they extended best wishes to Gony for the foreseeable future.
“Manpreet Singh Gony had been a potent weapon in the armoury of Punjab pace attack for many years. PCA management wishes him a happy and purposeful retired life,” Sushil revealed in a release.
Gony is looking to make good use of his experience in the Global T20 Canada league.