Indian left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha has announced his retirement from all forms of cricket with immediate effect, Cricbuzz reports. Ojha's last competitive appearance came in November 2018 in a first-class game for Bihar with whom he had a very short stint. The 33-year-old has also played for Hyderabad and Bengal in the first-class circuit.
Ojha made his India debut in 2008 in the Asia Cup against Bangladesh. His T20I debut was also against the same opponent in the following year during the World T20 where he bagged four wickets to be named man of the match. Even though he played only 18 ODIs and six T20Is in total, Ojha's success predominantly came in the longest format of the game.
He made his debut against Sri Lanka at home in 2009 and went on to pick more than 100 wickets. Quite ironically, his last appearance for India saw him come up with a man of the match performance as he picked up ten wickets in total in India's innings win over West Indies. The game was also Sachin Tendulkar's farewell Test. Ojha finishes his Test career with 113 wickets in 24 Tests.
He also had success in the initial years of the IPL, winning the title with the now defunct Deccan Chargers in 2009 and later again with Mumbai Indians. He also won the purple cap in the 2010 edition for picking the most number of wickets. His last IPL appearance came in 2015.
"To be an Indian cricketer and represent the country at the highest level was always a dream I cherished as a youngster," Ojha said in a statement shared on Twitter. "My eventful career has witnessed many ups and downs. Over the time, I have realised that the legacy of a sportsperson is not just the outcome of his hard work and dedication, but also the faith and guidance bestowed upon by the association (team management), teammates, coaches, trainers, and the fans.
"I am very thankful to Mr. V.V.S Laxman for mentoring me like an elder brother, Mr. Venkatapathy Raju for being the role model I always looked to emulate, Mr. Harbhajan Singh for being a constant adviser and Mr. M.S. Dhoni for providing me with the honorable opportunity to wear the Indian Cap.
Lastly, I am certain that looking back at my career will always fill me with a sense of pride. The most memorable moments would be receiving my Test Cap from Mr. Sachin Tendulkar and accomplishing the feat of taking 100 Test wickets. I hope to continue contributing towards the growth of Indian Cricket in every capacity possible."
