Indian leg-spinner Piyush Chawla has officially retired from professional cricket, ending a career that lasted over 20 years. The 36-year-old played 3 Test matches, 25 One Day Internationals (ODIs), and 7 T20 Internationals for India. His last appearance for the national team was in the 2012 T20 World Cup held in Sri Lanka.
Chawla’s final domestic tournament was the 2024-25 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, which he played in hopes of getting picked in the 2025 IPL season. However, he went unsold in the IPL mega auction. During the IPL 2025 season, he worked as a cricket expert with ESPNcricinfo.
In the Indian Premier League (IPL), Chawla had a notable career, playing 192 matches and picking up 192 wickets. He played for four teams – Punjab Kings (PBKS), Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), Chennai Super Kings (CSK), and Mumbai Indians (MI). One of his most memorable IPL moments was in 2014, when he hit the winning runs for KKR to help them win their second IPL title. His final IPL game was in 2024, and he retires as the fourth-highest wicket-taker in IPL history.
Chawla first gained attention at the age of 16 when he bowled out Sachin Tendulkar with a googly during the 2005 Challenger Trophy. He made his Test debut in 2006 against England in Mohali, after being part of the India Under-19 World Cup squad, which also included stars like Rohit Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara, and Ravindra Jadeja.
His international career highlights include being part of the 2007 T20 World Cup-winning team, the 2008 tri-series win in Australia, and the 2011 ODI World Cup-winning squad.
In domestic cricket, he played for Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat, taking 446 first-class wickets in 137 matches.
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In his farewell message on Instagram, Chawla expressed gratitude to his coaches, KK Gautam and the late Pankaj Saraswat, saying:
“From representing India to winning the 2007 T20 and 2011 ODI World Cups, every moment has been a blessing. Though I am retiring, cricket will always remain a part of me. I look forward to a new journey with all the lessons I’ve learned from this beautiful game.”
Piyush Chawla leaves the game as a respected and successful cricketer who made a big mark in both international and domestic cricket.
