The veteran fast bowler from Karnataka Vinay Kumar has announced his retirement from all forms of cricket on February 26 (Friday). The Davangere Express, as he was popularly known as, represented India in 31 ODIs, nine T20Is, and a solitary Test scalping 49 wickets in total.
While he had a very average time in the international circuit, Vinay Kumar was a stalwart when it came to domestic cricket playing for Karnataka. Since making his Ranji Trophy debut in the 22004-05 season, the right-arm fast bowler came up the ranks fast to become the leader in the pace attack.
Vinay Kumar announces retirement
The 2007-08 season marked his arrival as he finished as the second leading wicket-taker in the Ranji Trophy season. He got better with time as the 2009-10 Ranji Trophy season saw him take 46 wickets and lead his Karnataka side to the final.
Vinay Kumar has played in 139 first-class matches, 141 List A, and 181 T20 games including IPL. The 37-year-old has represented Royal Challengers Bangalore, Kochi Tuskers Kerala, Mumbai Indians, and Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL. In as many games, Kumar scalped 504 first-class wickets, 225 List A, and 194 T20 wickets.
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The cricketer took to the microblogging site Twitter to share the news with the world and his fans. Vinay Kumar thanked all his well-wishers for the love and support while announcing his retirement.
“Thankyou all for your love and support throughout my career. Today I hang up my boots,” Vinay Kumar wrote on Twitter.
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“Today, the “Davangere Express” after running for 25 years and passing so many stations of cricketing life, has finally arrived at the station called retirement. It is not an easy decision to make, however, there comes a time in every sportperson’s where one has to call it a day,” Vinay Kumar wrote in the statement.
“For me, cricket is not just a game, it’s a way of living. It has taught me many things, the ups and downs, the successes and failures, the good days and the bad days – all of this has made me a better person. I am very proud of all the experiences that I have had as a cricketer,” the pacer added.
Thankyou all for your love and support throughout my career. Today I hang up my boots. 🙏🙏❤️ #ProudIndian pic.twitter.com/ht0THqWTdP
— Vinay Kumar R (@Vinay_Kumar_R) February 26, 2021
