Abhishek Nayar has announced his retirement from first-class cricket. The 36-year-old all-rounder represented the Indian team in three ODIs.
In domestic career, Abhishek Nayar successfully served in Mumbai from 2005 to 2018. Ahead of the 2018/19 season, Nayar left Mumbai and played for the new domestic cricket team Puducherry.
Abhishek Nayar started his professional cricket career in January 2004. He made his first-class debut in December 2005.
The all-rounder played 103 first-class matches, 99 List A games and 95 T20s. The left-handed batsman scored 5,749 first-class runs (average 45.62), 2,145 List A runs (average 31.08) and 1,291 T20 runs (average 21.51). Also, the right-arm medium pacer took 173 first-class wickets, 79 List A wickets and 27 T20 wickets.
Nayar played his last professional game in December 2018 (first-class cricket). Meanwhile, he played the last List A game in October 2018 and last T20 match in February 2017.
Mumbai achieved some great success in his cricket career. During his successful domestic career, Mumbai won five Ranji Trophies (2006/07, 2008/09, 2009/10, 2012/13 and 2015/16).
Abhishek Nayar was the second most run-scorer in Ranji Trophy 2012/13. During that tournament, he scored 966 runs in 17 innings (average 96.60), including three centuries and eight half-centuries. Moreover, he also took 19 wickets in that tournament.
Abhishek Nayar represented Indian ODI side in 2009
Under MS Dhoni‘s captaincy, Nayar played three ODIs for India, all in 2009. Apart from playing two ODIs against West Indies in the 2009 Caribbean tour, Nayar also played one game against the same team in the ICC Champions Trophy 2009. In the ODI career, he bowled only three wicketless overs and batted only once with 0 not out off 7 balls.
In his IPL career, Abhishek Nayar played for Mumbai Indians (2008-2010), Kings XI Punjab (2011-2012), defunct team Pune Warriors India (2013) and Rajasthan Royals (2014-2015). He played 60 IPL matches where he scored 672 runs (average 17.68) and also scalped nine wickets.
On Tuesday (23rd October), Abhishek Nayar announced his retirement from cricket. He informed the BCCI and the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) about his retirement decision last month during his service as supporting staff for the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) team Trinbago Knight Riders.
Nayar told TOI, “Yes, I gave a letter to the BCCI and the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) when I was in the West Indies (to help the Trinbago Knight Riders in the Caribbean Premier League) last month, informing them of my decision to quit the game. I thanked both of them, all my coaches, my teammates, family and friends for all the support they gave me through my thick and thin.”
Since July 2019, Abhishek Nayar is working as a Head Coach and mentor of the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) academy in Bengaluru. Under the new head coach of KKR, Brendon McCullum, Nayar is serving as the assistant coach of the team.