Indian left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha announced his retirement from all forms of cricket with immediate effect earlier today. Ojha last played in November 2018 in a first-class game for Bihar. 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 and the very next year he made his T20I debut against the same opponent during the World T20 where he bagged four wickets to be named man of the match.
His international career in limited-overs didn’t last long as he played only 18 ODIs and six T20Is in total, but in the longest format of the game, he was successful. He made his debut against Sri Lanka at home in 2009 and went on to pick more than a century of wickets.
His career ended on a very good note as he bagged the man of the match award in his last international appearance – he picked up ten wickets in total in India’s innings win over West Indies. The game was also Sachin Tendulkar’s farewell Test.
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.”
