The left-arm pacer, Barinder Sran, has announced retirement from all forms of international and domestic cricket. Sran, 31, represented India in eight international matches—six ODIs and two T20Is. Barinder Sran holds the record for best bowling figures on international debut by an Indian. He picked up 4 wickets by giving away only 10 runs on his T20 debut against Zimbabwe on 20 June 2016 in Harare.
“Even though my international career was brief, the memories created will be forever cherished. I am eternally grateful to the almighty for getting me the right coaches and management, who have supported me throughout my journey. And I think this is the right time to retire from international and domestic cricket, I would also like to thank @pcacricketassociation and BCCI for their support. As I embark on this new chapter, I carry immense gratitude for the opportunities that cricket has afforded me. Lastly, as the saying goes, “Just like the sky, dreams have no limits,” so keep dreaming.”
Before switching to cricket, Sran was into boxing, but after seeing a Kings XI Punjab advertisement calling youngsters to take part in a trial, he entered into cricket. In those trials, he didn’t get selected, nor did he get an IPL contract. But his fortunes changed in the Kings Cup, after which he became one of the top 40 uncapped players in Punjab.
In the 2015 IPL auction, he was eventually picked up by the Rajasthan Royals, an IPL franchisee known for nurturing young talents. After this feat, only a year later, Sran got the biggest opportunity of his cricketing career: a call from the Indian team in an ODI series against Australia in 2016. Sran made his ODI debut in this series on January 12 in Perth and gave a stellar performance on his debut by picking up 3 wickets for 56 runs.
In June 2016, Sran made his T20I debut as a member of the squad for the white-ball tour of Zimbabwe. He took 4 for 10 in the second game in Harare, earning the Player of the Match award. Sran participated in 18 first-class, 31 List-A, and 48 T20 matches overall. He played for the Mumbai Indians, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Rajasthan Royals, and Kings XI Punjab in the Indian Premier League. Sran’s last competitive game was for Punjab against Madhya Pradesh in the Vijay Hazare Trophy in February 2021.
