Joginder Sharma
Joginder Sharma (Credits: Twitter)

Former India allrounder Joginder Sharma, on Friday (February 3), announced his retirement from all forms of cricket. While announcing the decision, the former cricketer stated that he has brought down curtains on his career in order  to “explore new opportunities in the world of cricket and in the business side of it”.

Joginder Sharma did not enjoy a very successful career in international cricket but managed to etch his name in the history books by playing a key role in India’s victorious campaign at the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007.

The 39-year old had famously bowled the final over of the title-decider against Bangladesh. Pakistan needed 13 runs to win the clash with a wicket in hand and Joginder Sharma was asked by MS Dhoni to guide India to a historic win.

Joginder Sharma
Joginder Sharma (Credits: Twitter)

The move raised a number of eyebrows as Joginder started on a poor note. He bowled a wide before being clobbered for a six by Misbah-ul-Haq. It brought down the equation to 6 runs from the last 4 balls. Joginder Sharma, however, held his nerve and dismissed Misbah to fire India to a monumental win.

Unfortunately, that was the last time he played for the Men in Blue. He had also bowled the final over in the semifinal against Australia and had conceded just 6 runs when the opposition needed 22 runs.

Joginder Sharma announces retirement:

Joginder Sharma took to social media to announce his retirement to the cricket world. He announced his move in a letter to BCCI secretary Jay Shah before posting a copy of it on his social media handles.

“Today with immense gratitude and humility I announce my retirement from all forms of international and domestic cricket. My journey from 2002 to 2017 has been the most wonderful years of my life honour representing India level of sport,” he wrote.

“I am excited to announce I will be exploring new opportunities in the world of cricket and 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. I look forward to this chapter in my life,” he added.

The decision to retire means Joginder Sharma’s cricket career that spanned over two decades has come to an end. He made his List A debut in 2001/02 season and played until September 2022 in the Legends League Cricket. He also plied his trade for Chennai Super Kings in the IPL from 2008 to 2011.

Apart from being a cricketer, he has also been serving as Deputy Superintendent of Haryana Police. In international cricket, he played 4 ODIs and as many T20Is between 2004 and 2007.

Also Read: Dinesh Karthik Reckons Rahul Tripathi Deserves No. 3 Spot If Virat Kohli’s Is “Not Around” In T20Is