
Piyush Chawla Announces Retirement From All Forms Of Cricket
Piyush Chawla, India's two-time World Cup-winning leg-spinner and IPL legend, has announced his retirement from all forms of cricket at age 36 via Instagram.
India's two-time World Cup-winning leg-spinner and IPL legend Piyush Chawla has announced his retirement from all forms of cricket. Chawla, 36, released a statement via the social media platform Instagram to make the announcement. In the IPL, he played for Chennai Super Kings, Kolkata Knight Riders, Kings XI Punjab (Now Punjab Kings) and Mumbai Indians between 2008 and 2024.
Having made his debut in 2006, Chawla was a member of India's 2007 T20 World Cup and 2011 ODI World Cup-winning squads. Overall, he represented India in three Tests, 25 ODIs, and seven T20Is, taking 43 wickets.
'After more than two decades on the field, the time has come to bid adieu to the beautiful game," Chawla said on his Instagram post. 'From representing India at the highest level to being part of the victorious 2007 T20 World Cup and 2011 ODI World Cup squads, every moment in this incredible journey has been nothing short of a blessing. These memories will forever remain etched in my heart. A heartfelt thank you to the IPL franchises who placed their trust in me – Punjab Kings, Kolkata Knight Riders, Chennai Super Kings, and Mumbai Indians."
His 192 wickets still rank as the fourth-best in the history of the IPL. He wasn't too bad with the bat either, and KKR fans will remember him for hitting the winning runs against PBKS in the final of IPL 2014.
'The Indian Premier League has been a truly special chapter in my career, and I have cherished every moment playing in it. A special mention to my late father, whose belief in me lit the path I walked. Without him, this journey would never have been possible. Today is a deeply emotional day for me as I officially announce my retirement from all forms of international and domestic cricket. Though I step away from the crease, cricket will always live within me. I now look forward to embarking on a new journey, carrying with me the spirit and lessons of this beautiful game," Chawla added.
He was playing for MI till last year, while also starting commentary and punditry gigs during the IPL on the side.
First Published:
June 06, 2025, 14:37 IST
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Print
22 minutes ago
- The Print
Bengaluru stampede makes it clear—those managing IPL want the benefits without accountability
Strangely, all information regarding the victory parade came from RCB's marketing and revenue division. This is where the pettiness of a tournament like the IPL comes to the forefront. From a humanitarian point of view, it is difficult to understand the need for an instant celebratory roadshow. Usually, such events require careful planning—but not in this case. Most people consider the players, management, and franchise owners as the primary stakeholders of an IPL franchise. What often goes unnoticed are the marketing and promotion agencies operating behind the scenes. There is nothing legally or morally wrong in an agency promoting a team. The problem arises when such companies exert a vice-like grip on the image of the cricket franchise. Top IPL authorities, including the chairman, were quick to point out that the IPL Managing Committee and the BCCI had no role in the post-match celebrations of franchises. The Karnataka State Cricket Association also stated that it had no involvement in the roadshow organised to celebrate RCB's victory. The recent events following the 2025 Indian Premier League final must be viewed with greater sensitivity. It is important to mourn the loss of young lives—but even more important is to understand the causes behind the tragedy. Also read: IPL expansion will kill Test cricket. Players no longer care about playing for the country Promotion at all cost IPL franchises are in the grip of promotion agencies eager to instantly capitalise on the euphoria of a team's win. The economic agenda of these companies is driven purely by greed. They do not pause to consider the impact on the most important—and most powerless—stakeholder in Indian cricket: the fan. A desperate attempt was made to stage a hasty victory roadshow. It's not as if India is unaware of the dangers of crowd mismanagement and the risk of stampedes. What's sinister here is that the greed to capitalise on victory was so overpowering that even the potential loss of lives was ignored. There was absolutely no need for a rushed roadshow. The victory parade was announced without planning or consultation with local authorities or the police. The abuse of money power is evident—private charters were used to fly the victorious team back to their home city. It was a desperate, last-minute attempt to cash in on the moment in the most inhuman and insensitive way. The bitter truth about franchise cricket is that everything revolves around commerce. It's bizarre that the national anthem is played at a tournament that has nothing to do with the fortunes of cricketing nations. This, too, is the doing of marketing and promotion agencies whose sole aim is to boost the franchise's brand value. Also read: Here's why BCCI took IPL auction to Saudi Arabia—cricket is not the main course Ignoring the cricket fan The stampede in Bengaluru has made it clear: those managing the IPL want all the benefits without any accountability. No one wants to take responsibility for the tragic deaths of young, innocent cricket fans. The IPL is a mega-rich tournament, and there is enough money inside the BCCI's wallet. Yet the value of a die-hard cricket fan's life is pegged at just Rs 10 lakh. This shows how little the authorities value the biggest stakeholder in Indian cricket—the fan. It exposes how brutal and insensitive both the state and cricketing authorities have become toward those who support the game most passionately. Instead of recognising the sinister role of marketing agencies, the authorities respond with routine monetary compensation. Every tragedy is a chance to learn. This one should serve as an eye-opener for Indian cricket fans. Euphoria must not drive them into a frenzy. It's unlikely that celebrity cricketers or franchise owners will visit the homes of those who died. The emotions that fans display for franchises are not reciprocated. The real villains are those who exploit every opportunity to enhance commercial brand value. These are the people who insisted on a hasty celebration and emotionally manipulated millions of RCB fans, packing them into a 40,000-capacity stadium without proper preparation or planning. Kush Singh is a cricket writer who has closely followed the game over the past four decades. Views are personal. (Edited by Prashant)


NDTV
25 minutes ago
- NDTV
Shreyas Iyer "Officially Joins" Captaincy Race: Indian Cricket's Influential Decision-Maker After IPL Show
Quick Read Summary is AI generated, newsroom reviewed Shreyas Iyer led Punjab Kings to the IPL 2025 final, scoring 604 runs and showcasing his captaincy skills. Though they lost to RCB, his leadership potential is recognized, positioning him as a future contender for India's captaincy. Shreyas Iyer led Punjab Kings with great success at the IPL 2025 in his first year with the franchise. For the first-time since 2014, the franchise made it to the final and lost the title clash to Royal Challengers Bengaluru by six runs. Iyer was PBKS' leading scorer with a tally of 604 in 17 matches. He scored six half-centuries and his 87* in the Qualifier 1 against Mumbai Indians will be talked about for a long time. He almost single-handedly rescued PBKS against MI and took them over the line. Now, according to a report in The Indian Express, quoting 'one of Indian cricket's influential decision-makers,' the rise of Iyer as a great captain is being considered biggest takeaway from the IPL 2025. "Right now he just plays ODIs but after this IPL we can't keep him out of T20 internationals and even Tests. Plus he also has now officially joined the white-ball captaincy race,' the official said. Currently, Rohit Sharma is the ODI captain while Suryakumar Yadav is the T20I captain. Shreyas Iyer has not been picked for India's Test series against England. He was a Knight in the shining armour for Kolkata in 2024 and in 2025, became the King who almost led Punjab to the crown. Shreyas Iyer's IPL season didn't end with the trophy but he well and truly established himself as the leader that India might need in the not-so-distant future. Iyer became the third skipper after Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Rohit Sharma to captain an IPL franchise to three finals and he did it with three different teams in the last five years. That's some range for a player, who astoundingly did not make the Indian Test team for the tour of England this month. KKR let him go last year as they didn't consider his demand for a higher retention fee to be just. Their loss was, needless to say, a massive gain for Punjab Kings. They got an astute captain and a passionate leader of the men in the 30-year-old, who knows a thing or two about handling the highs and lows of a career with grace. The jury is still out on Shubman Gill, who will face a trial by fire as captain in England. But after June 3, 2025, Shreyas Santosh Iyer should be rated as one of the best captains in Indian cricket. There is a Dhoni-like cool quotient, a Virat Kohli -like aggressive streak when the situation demands and also a ''Bindaas Mumbaikar in him just like his illustrious India teammate Rohit Sharma. "Job is still half done, we have to win it next year," Iyer's confidence shone through the disappointment of missing it this time by a mere six runs in Ahmedabad on Tuesday night. That he is not in the squad for England has surprised none more than his Punjab Kings coach Ricky Ponting. "I actually was he's accepted that really well and he's moved on," Ponting said on The ICC Review of Iyer, prior to the IPL Playoffs. "He's just got that real hunger in his eyes to do well every time that he plays for us here and wants to win games of cricket and wants to evolve and develop into the best leader and captain that he can be." Listen to the latest songs, only on


NDTV
25 minutes ago
- NDTV
A Picture-Perfect Family Pic From Akhil Akkineni And Zainab Ravdjee's Wedding. Courtesy: Sister-In-Law Sobhita Dhulipala
Quick Read Summary is AI generated, newsroom reviewed. Akhil Akkineni married longtime girlfriend Zainab Ravdjee on June 6 at Annapurna Studios. The wedding was attended by Telugu film stars including Chiranjeevi, Ram Charan, and Naga Chaitanya. Akhil wore a white kurta and dhoti, while Zainab wore a white silk saree with a golden blouse. New Delhi: Veteran actor Nagarjuna's son Akhil Akkineni married his longtime girlfriend Zainab Ravdjee on June 6. What The wedding took place at Annapurna Studios in Hyderabad, a venue established by Akhil's grandfather and legendary actor Akkineni Nageswara Rao. Recently, Sobhita Dhulipala shared an unseen family picture from the wedding on social media. The photo features Nagarjuna, his wife Amala, Naga Chaitanya and Sobhita posing with the newlyweds. The caption read, "Welcome to the family, dear Z. Congratulations to the newlyweds." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sobhita Dhulipala (@sobhitad) Background Several photos from the wedding have also been doing the rounds on social media. One of the pictures gives a glimpse of the newlyweds dressed in white outfits. Akhil is seen dressed in a white kurta and dhoti. Zainab, on the other hand, wore a white silk saree teamed with a golden blouse. The ceremony was attended by several prominent names from the Telugu film industry, including Chiranjeevi, Ram Charan and his wife Upasana, Sobhita Dhulipala and Naga Chaitanya. A lively baraat ceremony was held ahead of the wedding, where Chaitanya drew attention with a dance performance in a traditional red kurta. Many guests, including director Prashant Neel, Chiranjeevi, Daggubati Venkatesh and Nagarjuna, were seen dressed in white and gold. Ram Charan and Upasana also arrived in all-white attire. Akhil and Zainab had been in a relationship for two years before getting engaged in November last year. Akhil is Nagarjuna's son from his second marriage with Amala Akkineni, making him the half-brother of Naga Chaitanya. Chaitanya, who divorced actor Samantha Ruth Prabhu in 2021, married Sobhita Dhulipala last year. Akhil began his film career as a child actor in his father's 1995 film Sisindri and has since starred in movies such as Agent (2023), Mr Majnu (2019), Hello! (2017) and Akhil (2015). Zainab, an artist by profession, recently hosted an exhibition in Hyderabad for her collection titled Reflections. She is the daughter of Zulfi Ravdjee, a well-known figure in the construction industry, and her brother Zain Ravdjee is the Chairman and Managing Director of ZR Renewable Energy Pvt Ltd.