Praveen Kumar, who played all three formats for India between 2007 and 2012, has decided to quit the game at the age of 32.
Kumar, a medium pacer with the ability to move the ball both ways, played 84 international games for India after making his debut in a one-day international against Pakistan in November 2007. Overall, he picked up 112 wickets, including 27 in six Tests.
| Format | Matches | Wickets | Average | Best | ER | SR |
| Tests | 6 | 27 | 25.81 | 5/106 (Match: 7/169) | 2.59 | 59.6 |
| ODIs | 68 | 77 | 36.02 | 4/31 | 5.13 | 42.1 |
| T20Is | 10 | 8 | 24.12 | 2/14 | 7.42 | 19.5 |
High points in his career included playing an important role for India in their CB Series win in Australia in 2008. He picked up 10 wickets in four games, including 4/46 in the second final, when India beat Australia by nine runs.
“I can’t forget the CB series which we won in Australia, probably it was the highest point in my career,” Kumar told The Indian Express.
In Tests, he was India’s highest wicket-taker on the tour of England in 2011, which India lost 4-0. He ended with 15 wickets, including 5/106 in the first Test at Lord’s – his only five-for in the longest format.
“I have no regrets,” he said, adding that the decision to hang up his boots so early is mainly to avoid taking away a spot for a younger player in Uttar Pradesh, the team he represented in domestic cricket from 2005 to 2017.
“My time is over and I have accepted it. I’m happy and thankful to god for giving me this chance.”
Kumar, also a handy lower-order hitter, turned out for four teams in the Indian Premier League, even bagging a hat-trick for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Rajasthan Royals in the 2010 edition of the tournament.
His last appearance for India was in a T20 International against South Africa in Johannesburg in March 2012, and the final competitive game was for Uttar Pradesh against Baroda in January 2018 in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy T20 tournament – he conceded 45 runs in his three overs and didn’t get a chance to bat as his team won by seven wickets.
The future is coaching, he said: “I want to become a bowling coach. People know that I have this knowledge. I can pass on this experience to the young ones.”
