Dwayne Bravo announces IPL retirement; joins Chennai Super Kings as bowling coach

Dwayne Bravo is done and dusted with his IPL career as a player. He has announced his retirement from the tournament and joined Chennai Super Kings as the bowling coach.

Image credit: PTI

Former Windies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo made a name for himself in the Indian Premier League (IPL) as one of the finest all-rounders. Having started with record five-timer former champion Mumbai Indians (MI) in 2008, he moved to former four-time champion Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in 2011. He made an immediate impact and became one of the side's highly-performing players across departments, winning three titles with the side to date. He also played for the now-defunct Gujarat Lions (GL) for a couple of seasons it came in before playing for CSK again. IPL 2022 was the last season he played for CSK and the entire tournament.

You read that right. Bravo has announced his retirement from the IPL, effective immediately. While he was among the released players for CSK ahead of the IPL 2023 mini-auction, he chose to retire, meaning he would not be entering the auction this time. However, he would stay with the franchise, joining it as the bowling coach.

Image credit: IPL

In a statement via CSK, Bravo noted, "I'm looking forward to this new journey because it's something I see myself doing after my playing days are fully over. I enjoy working with bowlers, and it's a role I'm excited about. From player to coach, I don't think I have to adjust much because while I'm playing, I always work with bowlers and come up with plans and ideas for having that one step ahead of the batsmen

"The only difference is I will no longer be standing at mid-on or mid-off! I never thought I would be the leading wicket-taker in the history of IPL. But, I'm happy to be a part of IPL history!" added Bravo. Also, CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan praised Bravo's prolific career with the franchise.

"He [Bravo] has been a crucial member of the Super Kings family for over a decade, and we are excited to continue the association. Bravo's vast experience will be of immense value to our players and support staff. We are confident that our bowling group will thrive under his guidance," Viswanathan concluded.

As for Bravo's IPL numbers, as a pacer, he has claimed 182 wickets in 161 games at an economy of 8.38, including a couple of four-for, while his best figures are 4/22. As a batter, he was impressive, too. He scored 1,560 at an average of 22.61 and a strike rate of 129.57. It included five half-centuries, with a top score of an unbeaten 70.