Varun Aaron Announces Retirement From Red-Ball Cricket

Varun Aaron cited the inability of his body to handle the workload pressure of a fast bowler in longer formats as the reason behind his decision to quit the long form game.

Varun Aaron of India celebrates dismissing England captain Alastair Cook during day two of 5th Test match between England and India at The Kia Oval on August 16, 2014 in London.

Source : Getty

Varun Aaron, the right-arm speedster, has announced his decision to retire from red-ball cricket after the ongoing Ranji Trophy season. The decision, in effect, means that ongoing Jharkhand vs Rajasthan fixture will be his final red-ball match. However, the 34-year-old said that he will continue to ply his trade in white-ball cricket and a call on his future in limited overs fixtures will be taken before the start of the next domestic season. For context, Jharkhand are already out of the race for a place in the quarte-finals making this their final match of the 2023-24 season.

Aaron cited the inability of his body to handle the workload pressure of a fast bowler in longer formats as the reason behind his decision to quit the long form game. The speedster has picked up a number of injuries over the years too which has already taken a toll on his body.

"I have been playing red-ball cricket since 2008. Since I bowled fast, I picked up a number of injuries. I understand now that my body won't allow me to continue bowling fast in red-ball cricket, so I have decided to quit," Aaron told ESPNCricinfo.

"This might be my last game in front of my family and the people of Jamshedpur, because we don't often play white-ball games here [Keenan Stadium]. I had started my career here, so this is quite emotional for me," he added.

Varun Aaron:  International Career In Numbers

Aaron, best known for his lethal pace, went on to represent India 18 times internationally. He played 9 Test matches as well as 9 ODIs. He got 18 wickets in 14 innings in the game's purest format and 11 wickets in the 50-over format. He is probably best remembered for a fiercy bouncer to England's Stuart Broad that handed the England cricketer a fractured nose. After his cricketing career, Aaron will work with the MRF Pace Foundation, to scout and produce more fast bowlers like him in the country.