Veteran Team India wicket-keeper batsman Parthiv Patel has called time on his cricketing career with immediate effect. Making his Test debut only at the age of 17 years to guiding Gujarat in the domestic cricket, Parthiv’s career has come a long way.
The youngest wicket-keeper to play the red-ball cricket was first included in the 2003 World Cup squad he didn’t get to feature in any of the games as Rahul Dravid played as a makeshift wicketkeeper. Parthiv Patel remained mostly in the shadow of MS Dhoni but shined whenever opportunities came his way.
Parthiv Patel announces retirement
The high point of his career came in 2016 when he replaced injured Wriddhiman Saha and played a valiant knock of 67 runs to take India over the line in the third Test. He was part of the Indian Test squad which scripted history in Australia Down Under in 2018-19 but didn’t get a game. Parthiv Patel’s last Test appearance for India was against South Africa in January 2018. His last appearance for India in T20Is came in August 2011 while his last ODI was against Sri Lanka in February 2012.
He played 25 Tests for India with 934 runs in his bag and 62 catches on his name. In the ODI format, he played 38 games to amass 736 runs and 30 catches. He played just two T20Is with India. His first-class career and stats speak volumes about his capacities in the game. He has 10,797 runs in 187 First-Class matches he played at an impressive average of 43.36.
Parthiv Patel led the Gujarat team in the 2016-17 Ranji Trophy, and the team made it to the finals. In the finals, the team met Mumbai, and his outstanding performance, including 143 in the second innings led Gujarat clinch the maiden Ranji title.
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Parthiv Patel has also piled trade for various IPL teams. In the 2020 season, he was a part of the Royal Challengers Bangalore; however, didn’t feature in any game. The veteran cricketer took to Twitter to announce his retirement.
“Today, I announce my retirement from all forms of cricket and as I bring down the curtains on this 18-year-old cricketing journey, I feel heavier with gratitude towards many. The BCCI showed a generous amount of faith in a 17-year-old boy to play for India. I have enormous gratitude towards them for being a guiding force and holding me in the formative years of my young career,” Parthiv Patel wrote in his post.
— parthiv patel (@parthiv9) December 9, 2020