2024 witnessed over two dozen cricketers retiring, including India’s Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli exiting T20Is after clinching the ICC T20 World Cup. Ravi Ashwin, David Warner, Shikhar Dhawan, James Anderson, Shakib Al Hasan, and Tim Southee also bid farewell to international cricket. Pakistan’s Mohammad Amir and Imad Wasim retired again, while wicket-keepers Wriddhiman Saha and Matthew Wade also called it a day.
International Cricketers Who Retired in 2025
1. Rishi Dhawan (White-ball Cricket)
Pace-bowling all-rounder Rishi Dhawan became the first Indian cricketer to officially retire from limited-overs cricket in 2025. The 34-year-old represented India in three ODIs and one T20I, all in 2016, taking two wickets in total. A stalwart for Himachal Pradesh, Dhawan played 134 List-A and 135 T20 matches from 2007 until January 2025. He also led Himachal Pradesh to their maiden Vijay Hazare Trophy victory in the 2021-22 season.
In the IPL, Dhawan played 39 matches across two franchises, Mumbai Indians and Punjab Kings, between 2013 and 2024. He picked up 25 wickets and scored 210 runs, contributing to Mumbai Indians’ IPL 2013 title win. Despite stepping away from white-ball cricket, Dhawan will continue competing in First-Class cricket.
| Format | Matches | Innings | Runs Scored | Highest Score | Batting Average | Wickets Taken | Best Bowling | Bowling Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| International (ODI) | 3 | 3 | 12 | 10 | 6.00 | 1 | 1/21 | 160.00 |
| International (T20I) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 1 | 1/42 | 42.00 |
| First-Class (FC) | 90 | 134 | 3,935 | 128 | 40.77 | 308 | 7/77 | 27.83 |
| List-A | 134 | 101 | 2,080 | 117* | 35.86 | 181 | 6/27 | 31.20 |
| T20 | 135 | 91 | 1,322 | 73* | 23.60 | 126 | 4/22 | 26.88 |
2. Martin Guptill (All Formats)
Former New Zealand opener Martin Guptill announced his retirement from international cricket on January 8, 2025. One of New Zealand’s finest batsmen, Guptill made his debut in 2009 and played his last international game in October 2022. Over his illustrious career, he featured in 198 ODIs, 122 T20Is, and 47 Tests, scoring 23 international centuries.
Guptill remains New Zealand’s highest scorer in T20Is with 3,531 runs and the third-highest in ODIs with 7,346 runs. He famously smashed 237 not out against the West Indies in the 2015 World Cup quarterfinal, which remains New Zealand’s only men’s ODI double-century.
| Format | Matches | Innings | Runs | Highest Score | Average | Strike Rate | 100s | 50s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tests | 47 | 91 | 2,586 | 189 | 29.38 | 46.18 | 3 | 17 |
| ODIs | 198 | 192 | 7,346 | 237* | 41.73 | 87.12 | 18 | 39 |
| T20Is | 122 | 121 | 3,531 | 105 | 31.81 | 134.61 | 2 | 20 |
3. Varun Aaron (All Formats)
Jharkhand fast bowler Varun Aaron announced his retirement from representative cricket on January 10, 2025. Known for his raw pace, Aaron played nine Tests and nine ODIs for India between 2011 and 2015, taking 29 wickets at an average of 47.10.
Injuries significantly impacted Aaron’s career, though he was recognized as one of India’s fastest bowlers, clocking speeds over 150 KPH. He began his domestic journey in 2008 and went on to play 66 First-Class matches, 88 List-A games, and 95 T20s, claiming over 400 wickets across formats.
Aaron was also a regular in the IPL, representing franchises such as Delhi Daredevils, Kings XI Punjab, Kolkata Knight Riders, Rajasthan Royals, Royal Challengers Bangalore, and Gujarat Titans across nine seasons (2011–2022). He was part of Gujarat Titans’ victorious IPL 2022 campaign.
| Format | Matches | Wickets | Bowling Average | Best Bowling | Economy Rate | Runs Scored | Batting Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Test | 9 | 18 | 52.61 | 3/97 | 4.13 | 25 | 3.57 |
| ODI | 9 | 11 | 38.09 | 3/24 | 6.16 | 13 | 4.33 |
| First-Class | 66 | 167 | 33.26 | 6/32 | – | 472 | 10.27 |
| List-A | 88 | 121 | 30.87 | 4/34 | – | 102 | 5.66 |
| T20 | 95 | 120 | 27.55 | 4/20 | 8.05 | 60 | 5.00 |
