3 Indian cricketers who gave up a specific format without retiring

Representing India across all three formats demands enormous physical commitment, and not every cricketer can sustain that workload throughout a career. However, stepping away from a format does not always mean retirement, and several Indian players have chosen to make themselves unavailable in one discipline while continuing to serve their country in others.

Their decisions have been shaped by injury management, workload concerns and the need to prolong careers at the highest level. The three names below have each communicated such a choice to the Board of Control for Cricket in India at some point in their careers.

Rajat Patidar

Rajat Patidar informed the Board of Control for Cricket in India of his wish not to be considered for ODI selection while managing injury concerns. He had been named vice-captain of the India A squad for the ACC Rising Stars Asia Cup 2026, a group led by Tilak Varma, before the selectors withdrew him following his request. Ayush Badoni came in as his replacement in the squad, and Rinku Singh was elevated to the vice-captaincy in Patidar’s absence.

A knee problem had disrupted his domestic campaign in 2025, and a finger injury further complicated his participation during IPL 2025. However, this move does not amount to a retirement from the format. Patidar has simply communicated his unavailability for 50-over cricket at this stage, leaving the door open for a return once he is fully fit. He first entered an ODI squad in February 2023 as a replacement for Shreyas Iyer against New Zealand, and he captained Royal Challengers Bangalore to back-to-back IPL titles in 2025 and 2026.

Hardik Pandya

Hardik Pandya last appeared in a Test match at Southampton against England on August 30, 2018, and has not featured in the red-ball format since. Although he went on to become a central figure in India’s white-ball setup, recurring back trouble kept him away from longer-format cricket.

He underwent back surgery in 2019, and the physical demands of bowling at pace across five days became a significant concern given his role in limited-overs cricket. In March 2023, with India having qualified for the World Test Championship final against Australia, Pandya addressed questions about a possible Test return.

He indicated he would not step into the side without first doing the required red-ball preparation and earning his place, rather than displacing a player who had been working in that format. However, Pandya has never officially announced his retirement from Tests.

Shreyas Iyer

Shreyas Iyer communicated to the BCCI in September 2025 that he needed a six-month break from red-ball cricket. The decision came after persistent back spasms and stiffness that surfaced while playing the longer format, and it followed an earlier back surgery he had undergone in the United Kingdom. The break ruled him out of India’s World Test Championship assignments against the West Indies and South Africa. During this period, Iyer concentrated on building his endurance and physical resilience while continuing to represent India in white-ball cricket.

His most recent ODI was on November 7, 2026 against New Zealand, and his most recent T20I was on November 1, 2026 against New Zealand. Iyer has not retired from Test cricket and remains eligible to return to the format. He made his Test debut on November 25, 2021 against New Zealand and last played a Test on February 2, 2024 against England.