2024 was replete with ups and downs for people who love Indian cricket. India didn't win the ICC ODI World Cup 2023, but they finally got their hands on the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 trophy, with Rohit Sharma steering the team. This year, three iconic T20 players stopped playing, and more than seven Indian players stopped playing for their country at the international level.

Let's dive into who these players are.

1. Saurabh Tiwary (Retired from all formats)

Saurabh Tiwary, the man who swung his bat with his left hand and even scored 49 runs in three matches for India's ODI team in 2010, decided he had enough of professional cricket right after the 2023-24 Ranji Trophy season wrapped up in February 2024. Tiwary made this choice because his performance wasn't to par at the local level anymore Tiwary, who had been part of the cricket world for 17 years materializing on the scene notably with Jharkhand in first-class cricket and remaining in the IPL till 2021 announced in 2024 that his cricket-playing days were over. That person who played for India in a few games said he is finished with playing professional cricket after being on the fields for nearly two decades.

2. Varun Aaron (Retired from all formats)

Varun Aaron from Jharkhand was very quick at bowling with his right arm. Aaron said goodbye to cricket at the close of the 2023-24 Ranji Trophy season. People thought he was going to be great because he was very quick but he was often injured. Aaron managed to play in nine tests and nine ODIs for India between 2011 and 2015, and during that time, he took 29 wickets when playing against other countries.

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3. Dinesh Karthik (Retired from all formats)

Dinesh Karthik retired from all forms of cricket international, domestic, and even the IPL after the IPL 2024 wrapped up. Karthik put an end to his impressive career. Starting way back in September 2004 playing for India, 2022 saw his last game during the ICC T20 World Cup in Australia. Through it all, Karthik played in 26 Tests, 94 ODIs, and 60 T20 games.Karthik did not simply play he scored a total of 3,463 runs that includes a century and 17 half-centuries.

4. Kedar Jadhav (Retired from all formats)

Kedar June 2024, Kedar Jadhav said he's retiring from all kinds of cricket; this person, who was 39, played several games for India - 73 ODIs and 9 T20Is to be exact. Jadhav was a solid player in the middle of the lineup who could also add some good spin bowling to the mix, catching 27 wickets in ODIs with an average score of 42. On top of that, he demonstrated his skills in 95 IPL games for five different teams, performing well both when hitting the ball and when throwing the ball.

5.Virat Kohli (Retired from T20Is)

In his last game for India in the tournament against South Africa, Virat Kohli shared that he was retiring from T20Is. Virat Kohli made a very big announcement after India won the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 he was stepping down from T20I cricket. Starting his T20I journey in 2010 against Zimbabwe, Kohli had a great series of performances. Over his career, he participated in 125 T20Is, scoring 4,188 runs, which averages out to 48.69 this includes hitting one hundred and 38 half-centuries. Kohli is considered a legendary cricketer around the world.

6. Rohit Sharma (Retired from T20Is)

After taking India to win the ICC T20 World Cup 2024, Rohit Sharma said goodbye to T20Is. This includes an amazing five hundreds, 32 fifties, and an incredible 205 sixes, setting the record for the most in T20Is. Many achievements made him the premier run-maker in T20I history when he decided to stop playing.

7. Ravindra Jadeja (Retired from T20Is)

Ravindra Jadeja retired from T20I cricket post the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup, and he was an essential player for India for over ten years. Even though he wasn't the best in the tournament, his role playing both as a batter and a bowler was vitally important for India. Starting his journey in 2009, he participated in 74 T20Is, took 54 wickets with a decent economy rate of 7.13, and notched up 515 runs.

8. Shikhar Dhawan (Retired from all formats)

Shikhar Dhawan, a key player in India's win at the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy, said goodbye to cricket in all forms, the IPL included, in August 2024. Dhawan was last seen playing for India in December 2022. Dhawan's journey in international cricket began in 2010 and wrapped up in 2022; throughout his career, he played in 34 Tests, 167 ODIs, and 68 T20Is.Dhawan scored a whopping 10,867 runs, with an average of 42.28. Also, he hit 24 hundreds and 55 fifties.

9. Barinder Sran (Retired from all formats)

Barinder Sran, who is a left-arm pace bowler from Punjab, chose to hang up his boots when he was 31 years old. When he first appeared on the international stage for India during a T20 match against Zimbabwe in June 2016, he did very well at the beginning bagging 4 wickets and giving up just 10 runs. This debut is still the top first-game showing by any Indian player in T20Is. Despite this spectacular beginning, he didn't become as famous or successful as everyone thought he would in international cricket. Over his career, he got to play in six One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and a couple of T20 International matches, catching a total of 13 wickets.

10. Wriddhiman Saha (Retired from all formats)

Wriddhiman Saha, the person who kept wicket and hit runs for India, decided he was done playing cricket at every level on November 3, 2024. His plan was to stop playing cricket after the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy season finished. Saha had his moments playing 40 tests and nine ODIs from 2010 to 2021, where he knocked 1,353 runs in tests which even included conjoining three whole centuries. Despite that, superstars like MS Dhoni and Rishabh Pant often took the spotlight, leaving Saha's last match for India in 2021, playing against New Zealand at Wankhede Stadium.

11. Siddarth Kaul (Retired from all formats)

Indian bowler Siddarth Kaul announced his retirement on November 28, 2024. Kaul, 34, represented India in three ODIs and three T20Is, taking four wickets in T20Is but none in ODIs.

12. Ravichandran Ashwin (Retired from all formats)

After the third test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Brisbane in 2024-25, Ravichandran Ashwin, who plays spin-bowling all-rounder for India, said he's retiring.  Ashwin first played in 2010 and has been in 106 tests, 116 ODIs, and 65 T20Is since then. Mr. Ashwin has gotten 537 players out in tests, 156 in ODIs, and 72 in T20Is. Ashwin didn't only throw -- he could bat, too, earning 3,503 runs in tests, including hitting six centuries and fourteen fifties. Something exceptionally wonderful about him?Ashwin's tied with Muttiah Muralitharan for getting the most Man of the Series awards in test cricket, which is 11 times.

2024 has indeed been a year of significant retirements in Indian cricket, marking the end of an era for some of the game's greatest players.

In a thrilling encounter between Delhi Capitals (DC) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) in Match 56 of the Indian Premier League 2024 at Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi, left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav emerged as the hero for DC with a match-winning performance. Kuldeep’s exceptional figures of 2/25 in four overs played a crucial role in DC’s 20-run victory over RR, propelling them to the fifth spot on the points table.

Former India fast bowler Varun Aaron showered praise on Kuldeep for his outstanding display, particularly highlighting his double-wicket 18th over, where he picked up the crucial wickets of Donovan Ferreira and Ravichandran Ashwin while conceding just four runs.

“Kuldeep was absolutely phenomenal”

Aaron credited DC captain Rishabh Pant for exhibiting trust in Kuldeep’s abilities during the pressure-laden death overs, a decision that ultimately paid dividends for the team.

“Kuldeep was absolutely phenomenal. He was my player of the match as well because to do those kinds of things in that situation, in those conditions, is really not easy. Those two wickets in the 17th over, we must also give credit to Rishabh Pant because that was a brave call. You can shy away from it and give it to your fast bowler, but Rishabh Pant took that gamble and gave it to Kuldeep, and he delivered like he said in the post-match presentation,” said Varun Aaron.

Kuldeep’s impact upon team

Kuldeep’s remarkable form in the IPL 2024 season continued, as he showcased his prowess with the ball once again. With 14 wickets to his name from nine innings at an impressive average of 20.50 and an economy rate of 8.20, Kuldeep has been a key contributor to DC’s success. His standout performances include a four-wicket haul against Sunrisers Hyderabad and a match-winning spell of 3/20 against Lucknow Super Giants.

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Following their victory against RR, DC now stands in fifth place on the points table, having secured six wins from 12 matches and accumulating 12 points. With two crucial games remaining against Royal Challengers Bangalore and Lucknow Super Giants, DC aims to continue their winning momentum to solidify their position in the playoffs race.

Saurabh Tiwary, aged 34, recently bid farewell to his professional cricket career, announcing his retirement after his last match during the ongoing Ranji Trophy campaign representing Jharkhand. The final encounter took place on February 15 in Jamshedpur.

Tiwary embarked on his cricket journey at the age of 11, starting his first-class career as a teenager during the 2006-07 Ranji Trophy season. Notably, he was part of the victorious Under-19 World Cup team led by Virat Kohli in Malaysia in 2008.

Tiwary’s Cricket Journey: From Young Prodigy to Esteemed Figure in Domestic Cricket

His career reached new heights with remarkable performances for the Mumbai Indians in 2010, amassing 419 runs, and for Jharkhand in the same year. This led to his selection for the Indian team for the Asia Cup in June, although his international debut came in October. Tiwary played three ODIs, scoring 49 runs and remaining unbeaten in two innings.

Although brief, Tiwary’s international stint left a lasting impact on domestic cricket. Over 17 years and 116 first-class matches, he amassed 8076 runs in 191 innings, with an impressive average of 47.22, including 22 centuries and 34 half-centuries. Reflecting on his retirement during a press conference at the Keenan Stadium in Jamshedpur, Tiwary expressed mixed emotions, stating it’s the right time to step aside and make way for younger talent, given his absence from the national and IPL teams.

Aaron’s Journey in Fast Bowling: Victories, Challenges, and Farewell

In parallel, Varun Aaron announced his retirement from red-ball cricket, marking the end of his first-class career with the ongoing Ranji Trophy 2024 match between Jharkhand and Rajasthan in Jamshedpur.

Aaron made his first-class debut in 2008, claiming 173 wickets in 66 matches at an average of 33.27, with six five-wicket hauls.

The 34-year-old speedster debuted in Test cricket in November 2011, gaining attention for his consistent high-speed bowling. However, his Test career spanned only eight matches between 2011 and 2015, securing 18 wickets at an average of 52.61.

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Citing persistent injuries and the realization that his body could no longer endure the demands of fast bowling in red-ball cricket, Aaron explained his decision to retire. Emotionally reflecting on his retirement, Aaron noted the significance of concluding his career in Jamshedpur, where it all began, making it a poignant moment for him in front of his family and the local community.