Vijay Shankar: Vijay Shankar retired from domestic cricket and IPL, made an emotional post on social media

New Delhi. Indian all-rounder Vijay Shankar on Friday announced his retirement from domestic cricket and the Indian Premier League (IPL), saying he will ‘explore new opportunities’ to continue ‘playing cricket’. Shankar, 35, from Tamil Nadu, represented the Tripura team in the 2025-26 season. He played 12 ODIs and nine T20 matches for India between 2018 and 2019.

Announcing his decision on social media, Shankar wrote, “Cricket is my life. I started playing at the age of 10 and feel grateful and blessed to have played at every level and at the highest level 25 years later. Representing my country will always be one of my proudest and happiest moments.”

He said, “I have decided to retire from domestic cricket and IPL to look for new opportunities and continue playing cricket. I will always be grateful to the BCCI and the Indian cricket team. Bowling the last over in India’s 500th ODI in Nagpur and taking the first wicket with the first ball in the 2019 World Cup are unforgettable moments for me.”

Shankar was also a part of the ODI World Cup squad in 2019. He played his last match for the national team against West Indies in Manchester. He had to miss the tournament due to a toe injury and could not return to the team. Shankar represented four teams in the IPL.

This includes Chennai Super Kings (2014 and 2025), Sunrisers Hyderabad (2017, 2019-2021), Delhi Capitals (2018) and Gujarat Titans (2022-2024). He was not a part of any team in the current season. A right-handed batsman and right-arm fast bowler, Shankar played a total of 77 first-class, 112 List A and 159 T20 matches since his debut in 2012.

He scored 4,253 first-class runs at an average of 46.73, including 13 centuries and 23 half-centuries, and also took 43 wickets. He scored 2,790 runs in List A at an average of 34.87. In this, he has two centuries, 15 half-centuries and 73 wickets to his name. In T20, Shankar scored 2,583 runs and took 38 wickets.