He was the youngest wicketkeeper to play Test cricket, having made his debut aged 17 years and 152 days
Former India wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel has announced that he has retired from all formats of cricket at the age of 35.
Patel played 25 Tests, 38 ODIs and two T20Is for his country between 2002 and 2018.
He was the youngest wicket-keeper to play Test cricket, having made his debut aged 17 years and 152 days. He scored 1,706 runs and took 93 catches and 19 stumpings in his international career.
The 35-year-old also played for six teams in the Indian Premier League, where he managed 13 half-centuries in 139 matches.
In a statement released on Twitter, Patel said: “Today, I announce my retirement from all forms of cricket, and as I bring down the curtains on my 18-year-old cricketing journey, I feel heavier with gratitude toward many.
“The BCCI showed a generous amount of confidence and faith in a 17-year-old boy to play for India. I have enormous gratitude towards them for being a guiding force and hand holding me, in the formative years of my young career.
"I feel at peace having played the game in its truest tenets, with dignity and in the spirit of the game and more importantly with great camaraderie. As I walk away a proud man, having fulfilled more dreams than I thought possible, I hope to be remembered with that thought and find your support for my future endeavors."
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Posted by David Rimmer on 11/12/2020 at 09:50
It does not seem 18 years since I first saw Parthiv Patel in action. He looked like a 12-year old and he was so innocent looking. As with so many who have made their Test debut at such a young age he did not fulfil his potential though it can work out the other way as it did with the likes of Sachin Tendulkar or for that matter, Imran Khan.
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