Retirements in sports are something that evokes a variety of emotions, be it regret, heartbreak, relief, a sense of unfinished business or a fairytale-like feeling, both on the part of players and their fans. Very few get a privilege of retiring at the peak of their powers, with a major trophy in their hands and their fans screaming their names out loud. Cricket in 2024 was no different as it saw many players put an end to their careers. Plenty of these retirements sent emotional fans on a nostalgic trip, watching all the highlights of their major performances, trending their names on social media through hashtags and fan-made video edits and in all, just hoping that they got to accomplish slightly more in their careers. Here are the 10 biggest retirements in cricket from 2024.

Rohit Sharma (T20Is)

Perhaps the most heartwarming retirement of 2024. After the heartbreak of succumbing to Australia after a 10-match win streak in the ICC Cricket World Cup last year at home, Rohit during the T20 WC was a man on a mission. From a record fifth-T20I ton against Afghanistan at home to smashing Mitchell Starc for 29 runs in an over including four sixes, to his revengeful fifty against England in the semis, Rohit was at his destructive best in T20Is, scoring 378 runs at an average of 42.00, strike rate of 160.16, with a century and three fifties.

He top-scored for India in T20 WC, with 257 runs in eight matches at an average of 36.71, a strike rate of over 156 and three half-centuries, with his 41-ball 92 against Australia being his best knock. The final pictures of Rohit in T20I clothing saw the ‘Hitman’ laying down on the pitch in relief, tasting the Barbados soil which helped his side end their 11-year-long ICC title drought.

Virat Kohli (T20Is)

Virat and one-man carryjobs during T20 World Cups, a story repeated too often for his country’s good. After a bumper Orange Cap winning Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, in which he made 741 runs at an average of 61.75 with a century, five fifties and 38 sixes, the 36-year-old experienced a sharp dip in his form in a tournament where he thrived the most. Instead of playing the anchor role like the old days, Virat would throw his wicket in the most ‘un-Virat’ ways possible on tough pitches of the US and Caribbean and it seemed that the new-age T20I formula of slogging would not work on him. However, during the final, he played a ‘vintage Virat’ knock of 76 in 59 balls, helping his team secure a seven-run win over South Africa to win the title.

In his final T20I game, India’s biggest match-winner in T20Is ended up with a match-winning fifty, a ‘Player of the Match’ award, the highest amount of runs in T20 WC history (with 1,292 runs in 35 matches, average of 58.72, 15 fifties), and 4,188 runs in 125 T20Is at an average of 48.69, strike rate of 137.04, a century and 38 fifties.

David Warner (All formats of international cricket)

Perhaps Australia’s finest all-format opener retired from all formats of the game after a Super Eight exit from the T20 World Cup, in which he made 178 runs in seven matches with two fifties. In his final T20I game against India, concluded an era of audacious hitting, unmatched charisma and aggression on the field and all-format brilliance.

In 112 Tests for Australia, Warner scored 8,786 runs at an average of 44.59, with 26 centuries and 37 fifties in 205 innings. His best score is 335*. He is the fifth-highest run-getter for Australia in Tests.

Playing 161 ODIs, Warner scored 6,932 runs at an average of 45.30 and a strike rate of above 97, making 22 centuries and 33 fifties in 159 innings. His best score is 179. He is the sixth-highest run-getter in ODIs for Australia.

Warner is Australia’s highest run-getter in T20Is, scoring 3,277 runs in 110 matches at an average of 33.43 and a strike rate of 142.47. He scored a century and 28 fifties, with the best score of 100*.

With 18,995 runs in 383 games, 49 centuries, 98 fifties, two ICC Cricket World Cup titles, one ICC T20 World Cup and ICC World Test Championship title each, Warner retired as Australia’s second-highest run-getter and one of the greatest all-format openers of all time.

James Anderson (all formats of international cricket)

England’s ageless pace wonder finally pulled down curtains on his glorious career during the first Test against West Indies at Lord’s in July, taking four wickets in his final match. As inspiring Anderson was to deliver remarkable, low-economy spells, taking crucial wickets, staying at the top of his fitness game at the age of 42, retirement had to come for the sake of future generations.

The fast bowler bid farewell to Test cricket after the first Test at Lord’s as the third-highest Test wicket-taker to grace the game. The 41-year-old took four wickets in the Test match to finish with 704 career scalps in 188 Tests at an average of 25.45, the third behind Muttiah Muralidaran and the late Shane Warne. In 401 international matches, he ended up falling short of 1,000 wickets, at 991 wickets at an average of 27.28, 34 five-wicket hauls and best figures of 7/42. He is also England’s leading wicket-taker in ODIs (269 scalps) and overall, their first pacer to reach 700 Test scalps and a T20 WC winner in 2010.

Shikhar Dhawan (All formats of international cricket and Indian domestic cricket)

A name that often slipped under the radar due to the otherwordly brilliance of Rohit Sharma and Virat in ODIs particularly, Dhawan was India’s crisis man in ICC ODI tournaments, often giving explosive starts to make things easier for Rohit-Virat in later overs.

Having last played for India in December 2022, in 167 ODI appearances, the southpaw produced swashbuckling performances and racked up 6,793 runs at an average of 44.1, including 17 centuries and 39 fifties.

In the longest format of cricket, where he stitched up memorable partnerships with Murali Vijay, Dhawan garnered 2,315 runs in 34 matches at an average of 40.6. His Test career was laced with seven tons and five half-centuries.

In the T20I format, Dhawan made 68 appearances and scored 1,759 runs at an average of 27.9, including 11 fifties.

He top-scored in the 2013 and 2017 ICC Champions Trophy, with former a title-winning campaign in the UK. With 701 runs in 10 matches at an average of 77,88, three centuries and three fifties, he is India’s top run-getter in the tournament and overall third. He was also India’s top run-getter and fifth-overall in 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup with 412 runs at an average of 51.50, with two centuries and a fifty. His best score was 137.

He was crowned Player of the Tournament in U-19 WC 2004, Champions Trophy in 2013 and Asia Cup 2018.

Moeen Ali (All formats of international cricket)

One of the most underrated names in world cricket, left the international scene quietly in September after helping England retain the 2023 Ashes with some impactful performances and sticking around till the T20

World Cup during his team’s semifinal run.

The all-rounder featured in 298 international matches from 2014-2024 for the English side in his cricketing career.

Moeen made his international debut in 2014 against West Indies. He scored 6678 international runs at an average of 25.20, with eight tons and 28 fifties and picked 366 wickets at an average of 39.09. He won the 2019 Cricket World Cup and the 2022 T20 World Cup with the Three Lions.

Tim Southee (all formats of international cricket)

One of the many modern-day greats from the class of 2008 ICC U19 World Cup, Southee made an incredible impact for Kiwis, mostly with the ball, but sometimes with the bat as well.

After the home series against England recently, Southee walked away from the game with 776 international wickets at an average of 29.57, the most by any Kiwi bowler across all formats. Southee secured 391 Test wickets at an average of 30.26, the second-most by any NZ bowler, behind Richard Hadlee (431 scalps). He is the leading wicket-taker in T20Is with 164 wickets at an average of 22.38, the most by any bowler. With 221 ODI wickets, he also is the third-highest wicket-taker in ODIs for Kiwis, behind Kyle Mills (240 wickets) and Daniel Vettori (297 wickets).

He was also a capable lower-order batter, with 3,288 runs in 394 matches at an average of 14.11, with eight fifties. Most of these runs came in Tests, making 2,245 runs at an average of 15.48, with seven fifties. His tally of 98 sixes in Tests is the fourth-highest by any Test cricketer.

However, he could not win any white-ball trophy with Kiwis, and secured the inaugural ICC World Test Championship 2019-21 title, NZ’s first-ever world title in any form of the sport.

Ravichandran Ashwin (all formats of international cricket)

Words like ‘nerd’, ‘scientist’, ‘genius’ are regularly associated with cricketers. However, with his understanding of the game’s rules, the right use of the right tactics at the right time and role in a 12-year-long unbeaten home run for Team India, Ashwin earned a repute as one of the greatest thinkers in the sport. Be it his insightful interviews or his well-thought out YouTube discussions, they garnered as much attention as his all-round excellence.

However, the rare home set-back to NZ was the breaking point for this champion player, who announced his retirement during the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia after the Brisbane Test, having last played the pink-ball Adelaide Test and picking up a wicket, scoring 29 runs.

In 106 Tests for India, the legendary all-rounder took 537 wickets at an average of 24.00, with best figures of 7/59. He took 37 five-wicket hauls and eight ten-fers in his Test career. He is the seventh highest wicket taker in Tests overall and second-highest for India behind legendary spinner Anil Kumble (619 scalps). He also has 2nd most five-wicket hauls in Tests, behind Sri Lankan spin icon Muttiah Muralitharan (67).

He also made 3,503 runs at an average of 25.75, with six centuries and 14 fifties in 151 innings and best score of 124.

In 116 ODIs, the ace spinner took 156 wickets at an average of 33.20, with best figures of 4/25. He also made 707 runs at an average of 16.44, with one fifty, a knock of 65 in 63 innings. He is the 13th-highest wicket …

With 765 scalps in 287 matches, he is India’s second-highest wicket-taker across all formats, next to Kumble (953). He also won the 2011 50-Over World Cup and 2013 Champions Trophy with India.

South Africa’s Dean Elgar (All forms of international cricket)

Though not the biggest in the list in terms of superstardom, Elgar’s tough Test innings have made him one of the grittiest and gutsiest players on this list. He retired from all of international cricket after the home Test series against India at home.

Elgar, 37, enjoyed an impressive Test career since making his debut for South Africa in 2012, scoring 5,347 runs across 86 matches at an average of 37.92, with 14 centuries and 23 fifties. Though in eight ODIs, he could score just 104 runs in seven innings with best score of 42. His rock-solid knocks and defence provided stability to Proteas as they moved on from the golden era of Graeme Smith, Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers and Faf du Plessis etc.

Shakib Al Hasan (Tests and T20Is)

One of the ‘Big Five’ stars for Bangladesh alongside Tamim Iqbal, Mahmadullah, Mushfiqur Rahim and Mashrafe Mortaza that defined their cricket in the 21st century, pulled down curtains on his Test and T20I career in 2024 after the Test series against India.

With an eye on the ICC Champions Trophy, Shakib will feature in ODIs but his team will miss his all-round services in other two formats dearly considered his unmatched consistency with both bat and ball.

In 71 Tests, he scored 4,609 runs at an average of 37.77, with five centuries and 31 fifties and best score of 217. He is Bangladesh’s third-highest Test run-getter. With 246 runs in 71 Tests at an average of 31.72, best figures of 7/36 and 19 five-wicket hauls, he is Bangladesh’s top wicket-taker in Tests.

Coming to T20Is, he is the team’s leading run-getter with 2,551 runs in 129 matches and 127 innings at an average of 23.19 and 13 fifties. His best score is 84. With 149 scalps in 129 matches at an average of 20.91 and two fivers, he is also the team’s leading wicket-taker.

Nasser Hussain has praised Moeen Ali, calling him an inspirational figure both on and off the field, after the allrounder announced his retirement from international cricket. Moeen, has had a successful career, playing 68 Tests, 138 ODIs, and 92 T20Is. Moeen made history as the first British Asian to captain England in a T20I match against Australia in 2020 and has been an influential vice-captain to Jos Buttler. Despite participating in the T20 World Cup earlier this year, Moeen was not selected for the upcoming series against Australia, leading to his decision to retire.

Hussain highlighted that the 37-year-old, Moeen will be remembered not only for his achievements but also for his significant impact on his community.

“He is a hugely important and inspirational cricketer on and off the cricket field,” Hussain said as per quoted by Sky Sports

“One of England’s most influential multi-format cricketers. An Ashes winner, a World Cup 50-over winner, a World Cup 20-over winner,” he added.

“He himself said he has had the odd brain fade. He has played some good shots and some not so good shots,” hussain noted.

“I think anyone who watched him play enjoyed it but also those who played with him enjoyed it,” he said as per quoted by Sky Sports.

“You can imagine his WhatsApp this morning going berserk because he was a very popular member of any side he has played in,” Hussain remarked.

“He was an entertainer but also a really important figure off the field being a British Asian and a British Muslim,” he said

“Moeen was a role model for his community. He spoke about when he was growing up, parents might want you to become a doctor or something, but he and Adil Rashid have shown that there are so many different avenues for people from that community,” he concluded as per quoted by Sky Sports.

England allrounder Moeen Ali has announced his retirement from international cricket after being left out of the white-ball series against Australia. Moeen last represented England in their semifinal loss to India at the 2024 T20 World Cup in Guyana. “I’m 37 years old and didn’t get picked for this month’s Australia series. I’ve played a lot of cricket for England. It’s time for the next generation, which was also explained to me. It felt the time was right. I’ve done my part,” Moeen said in a Daily Mail interview.

“I’m very proud. When you first play for England, you don’t know how many games you’re going to play. So to play nearly 300… My first few years were all about Test cricket. Once Morgs (Eoin Morgan) took over the one-day stuff, that was more fun. But Test cricket was the proper cricket,” he said.

Moeen made his white-ball debut for England on their 2014 tour of West Indies and went on to play 138 ODIs and 92 T20Is for the country in his 10-year career. He made his Test debut at the Lord’s against sri Lanka, and represented England in 68 Tests overall. He finishes with 6678 runs, including eight centuries and 28 fifties, and 366 wickets for England across the three formats.

“Even now, I’ve tried to be realistic. I could hold on and try to play for England again, but I know in reality I won’t. Even retiring, I don’t feel it’s because I’m not good enough — I still feel I can play. But I get how things are, and the team needs to evolve into another cycle. It’s about being real to myself.

“People forget the impact you make in games. It might only have been 20 or 30, but it was a crucial 20 or 30. For me, it was about making an impact. I know what I brought to the side, on and off the field. As long as I felt people enjoyed watching me play, whether or not I did well, I was happy with that,” he further said.

The 37-year-old had already retired from Test cricket, for a second time, after last year’s Ashes. First he announced his retirement from Test cricket in September 2021 after England’s series against India.

But, he reversed his decision following discussions with captain Ben Stokes, head coach Brendon McCullum and managing director Rob Key, and joined the England men’s Test squad for the Ashes last year.

In addition, Moeen stated that he would keep playing franchise cricket and that he might eventually pursue a career in coaching.

“A bit of franchise cricket, because I still love playing. But coaching is something I want to do — I want to be one of the best. I can learn a lot from Baz. I hope people remember me as a free spirit. I played some nice shots and some bad shots, but hopefully people enjoyed watching me,” said Moeen.

Reflecting on his greatest moment of his career, Moeen said, ” Winning the Ashes and two World Cups was great, but from an individual point of view it was my Test hat-trick against South Africa at the Oval to win us the game. And I’m proud to have the fastest T20 50 for England (16 balls v South Africa in 2022).

England have launched a new white-ball era after dropping Jonny Bairstow and Moeen Ali from their forthcoming clashes against Australia. Bairstow and Ali have over 400 international appearances between them but the veteran pair have been deemed expendable as England revamp their limited overs line-up following disappointing ODI and T20 World Cup campaigns. Matthew Mott was sacked as England’s limited over head coach last month and the changes continued with Monday’s squad announcement.

Five uncapped players have been called up for Marcus Trescothick‘s first assignment as interim coach.

Left-arm seamer Josh Hull, all-rounder Jacob Bethell and pace bowler John Turner were selected in both formats, while Dan Mousley and Jordan Cox come into the T20 group. Moeen had been an influential vice-captain to Jos Buttler but is now 37 and has acknowledged his international career was winding down. 

His role as a spin bowling all-rounder will be covered by his Warwickshire team-mates Bethell and Mousley. Bairstow turns 35 next month but there is no such sense that he is ready to bring the curtain down on his England days. 

He was an integral part of the white-ball revolution that carried the side to 50-over World Cup glory in 2019, scoring centuries against India and New Zealand in must-win games at that tournament.

Despite having around 14 months left on the two-year central contract he signed last October, Bairstow lost his Test spot earlier this year after winning his 100th cap over the winter.

Chris Jordan has also been axed, while Liam Livingstone has retained his T20 spot but misses out on the 50-over matches.

Durham seamer Brydon Carse was selected after completing a three-month ban for historical betting offences on Wednesday. He has not played competitively since May 10 due to his suspension but has been offered an instant return by England’s selectors.

Jofra Archer, whose only cricket since the T20 World Cup has been in the Hundred, retains his place in both squads.

The three-match T20 series against Australia starts at the Ageas Bowl, Southampton the day after England’s third and final Test concludes against Sri Lanka. Harry Brook, Gus Atkinson, Ben Duckett, Jamie Smith and Matthew Potts will take a short break before joining up with Trescothick’s ODI team for the five-match series.

Joe Root is not included in what is believed to be a case of workload management ahead of a busy winter. Zak Crawley, Ben Stokes and Mark Wood are all out injured but fast bowler Saqib Mahmood returns after recovering from his own fitness issues.

England T20 squad to face Australia: Jos Butter (capt), Jofra Archer, Jacob Bethell, Brydon Carse, Jordan Cox, Sam Curran, Josh Hull, Will Jacks, Liam Livingstone, Saqib Mahmood, Dan Mousley, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Reece Topley, John Turner.

England ODI squad to face Australia: Jos Buttler (capt), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Ben Duckett, Josh Hull, Will Jacks, Matthew Potts, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Jamie Smith, Reece Topley, John Turner.

Former England captain Paul Collingwood believes the Jos Buttler-led side will play four spinners against India in the second semifinal of the T20 World Cup in Guyana on Thursday. The veteran cricketer said Adil Rashid is a “golden nugget” for England and will pose a challenge against Indian batters on a spin-friendly pitch at Providence Stadium amid the prediction of rain in the encounter. “He is a golden nugget for the England cricket team. He comes on naturally in the sixth over, I think the one thing about Rashid is, that his wrong’uns seem to be so difficult to pick. And he’s got real good deception. Now in T20 cricket, deception is key. Whether it’s slower balls or being able to turn the ball both ways. And he is looking really comfortable at the moment.”

“Indian batsmen generally play spin very well, but I think Adil Rashid, the way that he is bowling at the moment, we just have to wait and see what the conditions are like. There’s a chance that England could actually go with four spinners themselves,” Collingwood said during the Star Sports Press Room.

“Obviously, Moeen Ali and Liam Livingstone, who is actually an all-rounder who can bowl leg-spin and off-spin. And you never know, if the wickets are so dry, you can go with Will Jacks as well. So, plenty of options, but I think Adil Rashid is on top of his game, and this is the beauty of the World Cup. You’re gonna have a leg spinner now at the top of his game, confident, up against some of the best batters in the world. And that’s why it’s gonna be such a good spectacle, and we’re all down to see it,” he added.

On the other hand, former Australia spinner Brad Hogg said India would not bring Yuzvendra Chahal in the playing 11 and will stick to Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav in the spin department.

“It’s a day game, so the wicket might be a little bit dry. But this is the good thing about the Indian squad—they’ve got depth in spin. They knew that when they got to the West Indies, they were going to play more spin than pace. But they’ve still got Siraj there that they can bring in, and they’ve got Hardik Pandya, so they’ve got more pace options if they want up their sleeve. Will they bring in Chahal? I wouldn’t bring in Chahal right now. I’d stick with Jadeja. You’ve got to stick with the playing XI that you’re going with,” Hogg said.

He added that Kuldeep and Axar will be crucial against left-handers while Jadeja would be a better option than Chahal if it’s not turning.

“I love the thought of the question, though. Chahal against England would be okay. But there are a couple of left-handers in the batting lineup for England as well, which could do a little bit of damage. Kuldeep Yadav has been bowling exceptionally well, and Axar Patel has been going well. Jadeja hasn’t been that flash, but he gives you so much in the field, as well as with the bat. And he’s a player that, in the right conditions, he can also lift with the ball. If it’s not turning and if it suits pace, I reckon Jadeja is a better option than Chahal as well. So, I’d stick with Jadeja,” Hogg added.

The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup is the pinnacle prize for any international cricketer in the shortest format of the game. Right from MS Dhoni to Daren Sammy to Aaron Finch and Jos Buttler, they all along with Younis Khan and Lasith Malinga had the honour of captaining their respective teams to the T20 World Cup title. Come June 1, and 20 teams will be in a battle for the entire month to decide who would win the prestigious Men’s T20 World Cup silverware. For some of the players, it could become the last chance to have a shot at winning the title.

Here’s a look at some cricketers who could potentially be playing their last Men’s T20 World Cup:

Rohit Sharma (India)

The India captain has been playing T20Is since 2007 and played handy knocks in India’s title-winning run in South Africa. Now, after having taken India to a runners-up finish in the 2023 Men’s ODI World Cup, Rohit would be itching to go one step further through the upcoming T20I showpiece.

But Rohit’s form in second half of IPL 2024 has been a concern, a season where he’s not captaining Mumbai Indians anymore. In his last seven innings this season, the-37-year-old has been out of sorts and has amassed 88 runs at a strike rate of 104.8 and average of 12.6.

With India having lots of young batting talent and soon to burst on the big stage, Rohit will probably treat this World Cup as his last hope of claiming his hands at a white-ball silverware by leading India to glory in the Caribbean and USA.

Virat Kohli (India)

If there is one player in the Indian team who’s desperate to win a global title alongside, it’s the talismanic Virat Kohli. Though he has winners medals from the 2011 Men’s ODI World Cup at home and 2013 Champions Trophy, Kohli would be aiming to have a shot at winning the T20 World Cup to complete his set of medals in white-ball cricket.

The signs are there as Kohli, 35, is in stellar form in the ongoing IPL 2024 season and is leading run-making charts in the tournament. He averages 81.5 in T20 World Cups and has two Player of the Tournament awards too, which means chances are bright for him to do the bulk of scoring for India in upcoming World Cup.

Though his strike rate and scoring effectiveness against spin has been a major talking point, Kohli did show through his 92 against Punjab Kings that he’s adding shots like slog-sweep to counter that, which is a massive news for India.

David Warner (Australia)

The aggressive left-handed opening batter has been one of the biggest players for Australia since 2009. From there, Warner has two ODI World Cup winners medals, as well as one each from T20 World Cup and World Test Championship. Warner right now is on the swansong of his cricketing career, after retiring from Tests and ODIs earlier this year.

Though he hasn’t been in greatest of form for Delhi Capitals in IPL 2024 and has missed a lot of games due to injury, Warner, 37, would be itching to sign off from international cricket on a high with the T20 World Cup silverware.

Moeen Ali (England)

An explosive left-handed batter who can bat anywhere in the line-up and doubles up as a handy off-spin bowler, Moeen has a wealth of experience in terms of playing T20 cricket, mainly as a floater. He won the 2022 T20 World Cup and has a runner-up finish against his name in 2016.

Moeen, 36, had gone back into Test cricket retirement after last year’s Ashes and was also rumoured to quit ODIs for prolonging his T20 career. With many younger crop of players coming through the ranks in England, the 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup could be his last global appearance in the shorter format.

Quinton de Kock (South Africa)

The left-handed wicketkeeper-batter had retired from Tests at the end of 2021 and signed off from the ODI format after last year’s World Cup in India, where he struck four centuries for South Africa in their semifinal finish.

Of late, de Kock hadn’t been in best of form in T20s, having had a run in the BBL and SA20, though there’s been some improvement on that in the ongoing IPL 2024. If South Africa, the perennial underachievers, are to finally win a global trophy through the upcoming T20 World Cup, de Kock will have to play a crucial role in it if he signs off from international cricket later.