Scripting the exit of an international sportsperson can be a tricky thing. Not everyone is a Roger Federer, getting to bow out in the most picture-perfect farewell. Also, with a mindset where they perpetually see themselves as underdogs overcoming obstacles for a fleeting moment of glory—most athletes back themselves to ignore the naysayers, and take it up as a challenge to show them. We’ve seen this self-belief curdle into delusion in the case of many worthy champions.
Things are more complicated in a country like India, where a celebrity athlete is quickly turned into a micro industry by themselves. There are managers, agents, publicists, brands—all linked to the on-field performance of one person. Especially cricketers, considering how the sport has hundreds of millions of devotees in India. The fame and stratospheric profile usually come with a pull within the team—where stars are known to overstay their welcome. Unlike the Australian cricket set-up, where even the “legends” are politely nudged towards the door, there’s little transparency in the Indian ecosystem which makes matters much more prone to speculation.
Also, we’re a more sensitive and emotional culture—so one rarely sees frank criticism of players whose stars might be on the rise. Cricketers become Gods, beyond any rational appraisal. This leads to a discourse riddled with extreme praise or hate—with star athletes rarely showing the grace of acknowledging their decline. And the environment being far more protective of the famous players, compared to others, hampering a team and the potential future of many contenders —which becomes visible in the less-than-desirable results soon enough.
To borrow from The Dark Knight (2008): while some star cricketers in India have died as heroes, there are also a few who have lived long enough to see themselves become the villain. Here’s a definitive ranking of the retirement of Indian cricket’s stalwarts from the worst, the middling to the absolute best:
8. Sachin Tendulkar
Probably the greatest Indian to ever pick up a cricket bat, Tendulkar’s career concluded with the most garish celebrations. Some might argue that an athlete of his stature deserved it. Almost two and a half years after lifting the 2011 world cup, and eighteen months after witnessing one of the most painful ODI centuries—Tendulkar was finally hanging up his boots after being a liability for the Test side, averaging in the late 20s. Ideally, a player of Tendulkar’s stature would have the wisdom to give up his place for a younger player like Rohit Sharma or Ajinkya Rahane.
However, that wasn’t even the worst part about Tendulkar’s farewell. To make sure he concludes his career on a well-rounded number of 200 Tests, the BCCI organised a half-hearted Test series by inviting the West Indies, so Tendulkar can retire in front of his home crowd at the Wankhede stadium. What was supposed to be an emotionally-charged moment for cricket fans became something more insidious. A servant of Indian cricket for over two decades, it was one of those rare days when Sachin Tendulkar was orchestrated to appear larger than the sport.
7. Mahendra Singh Dhoni
Indian cricket’s talisman for nearly a decade, Dhoni shocked everyone by announcing his Test retirement in the midst of the 2014-2015 Australia series. But it was his ODI and T20 retirement that drew a lot more speculation. Having been far from his best in limited overs—a 38-year-old Dhoni was picked for the 2019 World Cup. As luck would have it, the fate of the campaign rested on his shoulders in the semifinal against New Zealand, as India tried to recover after five wickets fell in the first 10 overs, during a chase of 240. What followed was one of the most confounding ODI innings, where Dhoni scored a fifty at a strike-rate of 70, with two boundaries.
A visibly out-of-touch Dhoni had taken the place of Ambati Rayudu, even though the team had Rishabh Pant (another keeper). Playing almost too cautiously, Dhoni left too much for the last few overs—and unsurprisingly succumbed under pressure in the end, when a phenomenal direct-hit from Martin Guptill ran Dhoni out. Even though most fans had a feeling that this might be the last we see of the man on field—the cricketer kept mum. As the pandemic raged in 2020, with international cricket coming to a standstill, Dhoni announced his retirement a month after his 40th birthday. For a career as bombastic as his, it felt dissonant to see his bond with Indian cricket wither away like it did.
6. Virat Kohli
One of the greatest batters of his generation—Kohli was always a step or two behind in Tests, if you compare it with his imposing reputation and numbers in limited overs cricket. Even as he kept putting out the cautiously-worded sound bytes (something purists would approve of) about Test cricket being the pinnacle of the sport, his commitment to the format invited questions when he abruptly announced his retirement from Tests in the middle of the recently concluded IPL. Merely a few days before the line-up to the England tour was going to be announced.
Having had less-than-desirable numbers in the last few years and a disastrous Test series in Australia, many noted how Kohli had been practicing for the coming English summer. Rumours suggest that he would’ve been picked, but there might have been pressure on him to be amongst runs, especially after the Australia series (where he repeatedly got caught in the slips/gully area, a dismissal typical to pitches in England). With a young captain in Shubman Gill, one could argue Kohli’s presence as an elder statesman could have benefitted the team. The other possibility could be that Kohli was wary of the humiliation of being dropped, if he didn’t score runs in the first Test. Either way, the announcement seems too conspicuously timed, and reek of selfish motives, instead of a transparent vision for the future of the team. For someone nicknamed the ‘King’—the exit came off as a bit of a cheap shot.
5. Rohit Sharma
Like many great cricketers in this list, Sharma had been battling bad form in Tests over the last 12 months, averaging less than 25 in 14 Tests. A change felt imminent after he announced his T20 retirement after winning the 2024 T20 World Cup—and was at the receiving end of a drubbing from New Zealand at home (India lost 3-0, their first white-washing at home) and then Australia (India lost 3-1), where Sharma admittedly ‘opted out’ of the side in the fifth and final Test, after failing to get runs throughout the series.
There was intense media speculation about Sharma being dropped from the side, and that the selectors were looking to groom a new leader for the side. However, even after the series loss one didn’t hear anything from Sharma. Much like Kohli, a few weeks before the line-up of the England tour was going to be announced, Sharma hung up his boots from Tests. There were murmurs about Sharma continuing as a batter in the side, and maybe Kohli resuming captaincy, but the announcement comes off as conspicuously-timed at the very least. The kind of goodwill Sharma had gathered with his leadership in recent ICC tournaments, one would expect a more honest, amiable conversation between the captain and selectors on their respective visions for the future. Instead, what we got was a hasty, opaque exit—like the 38-year-old was trying to run from a bad relationship with whatever self-esteem he could muster.
4. Kapil Dev
The greatest all-rounder Indian cricket has ever seen, Dev was almost a victim of the delusions of an Indian star cricketer in their late-career. With a clearly waned ability in the early 1990s, having dropped pace—the selectors waited for 35-year-old Dev to equal Richard Hadlee’s record of the highest Test wickets around that time (431). Dev would pick up 5/114 in his final Test in Ahmedabad, against Sri Lanka, where he would break Hadlee’s record. The selectors made their mind up about having a conversation with Dev about his impending retirement.
Much to the selectors’ surprise, Dev announced in a press conference that he wanted to play for two more years. Selectors Gundappa Vishwanath, Anshuman Gaekwad and then-BCCI secretary Jagmohan Dalmiya summoned Dev for a closed-door meeting. According to Gaekwad, Vishwanath kept talking around in circles causing him to step in and plainly communicate their vision for the team in the near future, and how Dev didn’t fit into it. As per Gaekwad’s account, Dev reacted graciously to the honesty shown by the selectors, and chose to take their suggestion. He ended his career with 434 Test wickets, a record for its time.
3. Anil Kumble
The greatest to have ever bowled for India, Kumble’s cricketing brain didn’t get its due till very late in his 19-year career. Taking over from Dravid as captain in 2007, Kumble’s reign was brief, but eventful. He led the team in a combustible Australia series in 2007-08, where ‘Monkeygate’ happened, and one of India’s most famous Test wins in Perth took place. India went on to lose the series 2-1, but we earned the reputation of being quietly intense and defiant under Kumble.
Unlike most Indian veterans, Kumble’s powers hadn’t dramatically declined. And there was this solidity to the team under his leadership—which is why no one anticipated his announcement less than a year after becoming captain. It came in the middle of a home series against Australia, which we were leading. After picking up a serious finger injury on the fourth day of the third Test in Delhi, Kumble simply woke up one day and announced his exit. With MS Dhoni having taken up responsibility of the ODI and T20 teams, he had enough momentum to also take on the job as Test captain. Just like that our greatest bowler called it a day, and rode into the sunset.
2. R Ashwin
Ravichandran Ashwin, tipped as the only bowler to break Kumble’s record of most Test wickets for India, shocked the world when he suddenly showed up for a press conference in the middle of the last India-Australia Test series, alongside captain Rohit Sharma, and announced he was retiring from all formats of the game. One of the modern greats of the game, only 80 wickets behind Kumble (after having played 30 fewer Tests), Ashwin took the decision after being overlooked as a frontline spinner of the team, in favour of Washington Sundar (who could also bat).
Anyone in Ashwin’s position could have been more precious about his career, told selectors about his decision to retire, and demanded a farewell match. However, Ashwin didn’t do that. Some might also cast aspersions on Ashwin’s commitment to the team, retiring in the middle of a series when his teammates were losing, but seeing the bigger picture here—Ashwin only used the occasion to communicate his gratitude to the sport, its fans and his teammates. Unlike most Indian stalwarts, R Ashwin when the party was over and it was time to go home. Perhaps, leaving with your head held high, and on your own terms, is the only graceful way to exit the stage for any celebrity.
1. Rahul Dravid
The nicest guy of Indian cricket, lived up to his reputation during his retirement announcement as well. Returning after a horrid Australian summer in 2012, when he was bowled between his bat and pad more than once, Dravid called a press conference and conveyed his unavailability.
What was characteristic about Dravid’s announcement is his humility, self-awareness and honest evaluation of his recent failures—without a shred of ego. It was a refreshing moment as an Indian cricket fan, seeing a ‘God’ lower himself from a pedestal, admitting to his fallibilities, and taking a decision that was ultimately the best decision in the team’s interest. Despite accumulating over 13,000 Test runs, no one would have begrudged Dravid sticking around for another year—especially since he was going neck-and-neck with Ricky Ponting (only ~100 runs separated them) to take the second spot for most Test runs behind Sachin Tendulkar. But Dravid epitomised a quality he had endorsed all his career—Team first.
