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.