India’s right-arm seamer Mohit Sharma has confirmed he is “done with the playing bit”, ending a journey that took him from Rohtak nets to World Cup stadiums and 12 IPL campaigns.
“Today with a full heart, I announce my retirement from all forms of cricket,” he posted on Instagram, before acknowledging the people who nudged him along. “From representing Haryana to wearing the India jersey and playing in the IPL, this journey has been nothing short of blessing. A very special Thanku to the Haryana Cricket Association for being the backbone of my career. And my deepest gratitude to Anirudh Sir, whose constant guidance and belief in me shaped my path in ways words cannot express.”
Sharma, 37, played 26 ODIs and eight T20Is between 2013 and 2015, collecting 37 wickets across the two formats. He shadowed Bhuvneshwar Kumar with the new ball at the 2015 World Cup, then made a niche for himself at the death for Chennai Super Kings under MS Dhoni. Former India bowling coach Bharat Arun once called him “one of the smarter operators with limited pace”, praise that summed up his method: wicket-to-wicket lines, a well-masked slower ball, and the odd yorker when the match tightened.
The Haryana quick featured for four IPL franchises – CSK, Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings), Delhi Capitals and, most recently, Gujarat Titans. His 2023 resurgence with Titans produced 27 wickets, just one shy of team-mate Mohammed Shami, and reminded supporters why franchises kept going back to him. Even so, the elusive IPL winner’s medal never came; three finals, three near-misses.
Sharma bows out with 134 IPL wickets from 120 matches, plus 127 first-class scalps for Haryana. His final competitive outing was for Delhi against Punjab in April; the Capitals released him ahead of the 2026 auction, effectively nudging this decision.
Quiet achiever, late bloomer, call him what you like – Indian cricket’s depth grows partly because players such as Mohit Sharma hang around long enough to pass on their tricks.
