Yusuf Pathan announces retirement from professional cricket

Yusuf Pathan has represented Team India in the limited-overs circuit. He helped India win the 2007 ICC World T20 and the 2011 ICC World Cup. He has played for three sides in the Indian Premier League and was mostly known for his explosive hitting abilities.

Explosive Indian all-rounder Yusuf Pathan has announced his retirement from professional cricket. He came up with the decision on Friday, having represented India in the limited-overs circuit.

Yusuf announced it on Twitter, as the tweet read, "I thank my family, friends, fans, teams, coaches and the whole country wholeheartedly for all the support and love. #retirement".

He also shared a retirement post, which read, "I still remember the day when I wore the India jersey for the first time. I didn't only wear the jersey that day, but I took upon my family's, coach's, friends', the whole country's and my own expectations on my shoulders as well. Since my childhood, my life has revolved only around Cricket. I played at international level, domestic level and in the IPL in my career."

"But today is a bit different. There is no World Cup or IPL final today but it is equally important. The time has come today for me to put a full stop to this innings of my life. I officially announce retirement from all forms of the game. I thank my family, friends, fans, teams, coaches and the whole country wholeheartedly for all the support and love. I am sure you will continue to encourage me in future as well," it further read.

"Winning two World Cups for India and lifting Sachin Tendulkar on my shoulders were some of the best moments of my career. I made my international debut under MS Dhoni, IPL debut under Shane Warne, Ranji debut under Jacob Martin and would like to thank them for believing in me. I thank Gautam Gambhir with whom, at KKR, we won the IPL trophy twice. I would also like to thank my brother and backbone Irfan Pathan who was always there for me during the highs and lows of my career. Last but not the least, I would like to thank the BCCI & BCA for giving me the opportunity to play for my country and state," it continued.

"Nothing can keep me away from cricket and my passion for the sport will remain the same. I will continue to entertain everyone even in future," it concluded.

Yusuf has been a part of India's title-winning campaigns, including the 2007 ICC World T20 and the 2011 ICC World Cup. He has also represented himself in the Indian Premier League, playing for three sides, besides winning the title on three occasions, with Rajasthan Royals (1) and Kolkata Knight Riders (2).

As for his IPL stats, he has scored 3,204 at an average of 29.1, while in T20s overall, he has scored 4,852 at 27.56. In ODIs, he has 810 runs at 27.00, including twin centuries. He also played a crucial role in Baroda's success in the domestic circuit, scoring 4,825 First-Class runs at 34.46, besides scoring 4,797 in List-A at 33.78.

Besides his hard-hitting abilities, he was also known for his impactful spin bowling, having claimed more than 400 career wickets.