Top 5 Indian players who retired without farewell match

Over the years, several cricketers have given their best on the field, by creating last-long legacies, and but quietly stepped away from the game without receiving the farewell they truly deserved for their commitment. While some are celebrated with grand send-offs, and others leave without a final match to say goodbye to their fans. In recent times, there are a number of players who have retired from Test cricket without the honor of a proper farewell. Here are five cricketers who exited the longest format of the game without a final appearance to mark their departure.

Five players who retired without a farewell match

Ravichandran Ashwin

Former India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin established himself as one of the modern greats of Test cricket, but he retired without receiving a proper farewell on the field. The spinner claimed an impressive 537 wickets in 200 Test innings which made him the eighth-highest wicket-taker in the history of the format. The Chennai-born cricketer also registered 37 five-wicket hauls and became the first bowler to take 100 wickets in the World Test Championship.

Ashwin’s final appearance came during the second Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024–25, a day-night match against Australia. He announced his retirement from all formats of the game on the final day of the third Test in Brisbane which left fans and the cricketing world without a chance to bid him a farewell.

MS Dhoni

The former Indian captain MS Dhoni bid farewell to Test cricket during the 2014 Border-Gavaskar Trophy and announced his retirement after the third Test in Melbourne. The right-handed batter concluded his Test career with 4876 runs in 90 matches. After his retirement, Virat Kohli took over the captaincy for the final Test of the series.

The now 43-year-old later retired from all international formats in 2019 without receiving a farewell match in any format. He made the announcement quietly through a social media post by stating that he would step away from international cricket. The lack of a proper send-off for one of India’s most legendary cricketers left many fans disappointed.

Rahul Dravid

The Indian veteran Rahul Dravid is widely regarded as one of the finest Test batters in the history of the game, Nicknamed as ‘Wall of the Cricket’, the wicketkeeper-batter was known for his composure, patience and solid defense. The ultimate challenge for bowlers is to dismiss the batter because he often occupied the crease for long hours and tired the opposition attacks down.

The 52-year-old scored a whopping 13,288 runs in Tests at an impressive average of 52.31 and cemented his place among the legends of the format. He played his final Test during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in 2012 and retired quietly without a farewell match. Despite his immense contributions, one of India’s greatest Test cricketers exited the game without a proper send-off in front of his fans.

Rohit Sharma

Indian opener Rohit Sharma recently announced his retirement from Test cricket on May 7. The batter had stepped away from T20 Internationals after leading India to victory in the 2024 T20 World Cup held in the USA and the West Indies.

The Hitman scored 4301 runs in 116 innings which included some memorable performances. The Nagpur-born cricketer smashed 16 sixes against South Africa in a single Test match, which is the most by any batter in a Test and holds the record for scoring the most runs across the first three WTC cycles. Even though he provided a significant impact for the Indian team in the longest format and retired without a farewell match.

Virat Kohli

Indian stalwart Virat Kohli announced his retirement from Test cricket on May 12 which sent shockwaves through the cricketing world. The 36-year-old was expected to feature in the upcoming England tour, but instead chose to hang up his boots in the red-ball format and brought an end to a remarkable Test career.

The right-handed batter garnered 9230 runs in Tests which included 30 centuries and a record seven double centuries, the most by any Indian batter. The top-order batter led India to 40 Test victories which is the most by any Indian skipper, and played a crucial role in shaping India’s dominance in the format over the last decade. His final appearance came during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024–25. Despite his iconic status, he retired without a farewell match which left millions of fans heartbroken.

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