Ahmedabad: Former India wicketkeeper-batsman Parthiv Patel announced his retirement from all forms of cricket on Wednesday (December 9) ending an 18-year-long career. The 35-year-old left-hander, who made his international debut in 2002, played 25 Tests, 38 ODIs and two T20Is for India. The Gujarat cricketer represented his state in 194 first-class matches.
“Today, I announce retirement from all forms of cricket and as I bring down curtains on this 18-year-old cricketing journey, I feel heavier with gratitude for many,” the 35-year-old Parthiv said in a statement on his official Twitter and Instagram account.
— parthiv patel (@parthiv9) December 9, 2020
The baby-faced Parthiv, who made his Test debut under Sourav Ganguly, at the age of 17 years and 153 days, scored 1696 runs across formats with 934 runs coming in the longest format. In ODIs, he has scored 736 runs with four half-centuries with a highest score of 95. He affected 72 dismissals in Tests, which include 62 catches and 10 stumpings.
Parthiv burst into the scene in early 2002, when he was sent to England after having played for India A in South Africa and even before he made his Ranji Trophy debut. “The BCCI showed generous amount of confidence and faith in a 17-year-old boy to play for India. I have enormous gratitude towards them for guiding me and hand holding me in the formative years of my young career,” Parthiv further stated.
In fact, he played his first Ranji Trophy after he was dropped from the India squad in 2004 due to below-par glovework on tours of Australia and Pakistan. He was thankful to all the captains and ‘especially Dada’, the current BCCI president Sourav Ganguly. Once Mahendra Singh Dhoni came into the scene, just like other glovemen, Parthiv also had to play the catch-up game and be satisfied being the second-keeper and at times playing as a specialist batsman.
He did become a domestic legend and before retirement, played an astonishing 194 first-class games in which he had scored 11,240 runs with 27 hundreds at an average of 43 plus. Add to it, 194 List A games and 204 T20 games, Parthiv had a long run but it was just that Dhoni was a few lightyears ahead as a performer.
Parthiv Patel announces his retirement from all cricket.
— ICC (@ICC) December 9, 2020
👕 25 Tests, 38 ODIs, two T20Is
🏏 1706 runs
🧤 93 catches, 19 stumpings
He remains the youngest wicket-keeper to play Test cricket, having made his debut at 17 years and 152 days ⭐ pic.twitter.com/O5i8FeRUiW
But Parthiv did play for a lot of IPL teams, including Mumbai Indians, Chennai Super Kings, Royal Challengers Bangalore during the last 13 editions. Probably not getting a game in this IPL edition for RCB was crucial in his case. “I want to thank the IPL franchises and their owners who made me a part of their teams and looked after me well,” he said.
A long time leader of the Gujarat Ranji team, his finest hour would certainly be captaining his state to maiden Ranji Trophy triumph in the 2016-17 season. It was Parthiv, who with his leadership and ability to identify talent, made Gujarat from a middle-level domestic team to one of the best in the country.
Not to forget, he was Jasprit Bumrah’s first skipper at the senior level during the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy back in 2013, in which he made an impression to be picked for Mumbai Indians.
While signing off, the cherubic faced gloveman said, “I feel at peace having played the game in its truest tenets with dignity and in the spirit of the game and most importantly with great camaraderie. As I walk away a proud man, having fulfilled more dreams than I thought possible, I hope to be remembered with that thought and find your support for my future endeavours.”
