Tuesday 4 December 2018 15:44, UK
Former India batsman Gautam Gambhir has announced he is to retire from all forms of cricket.
The left-handed opener won both the World T20 in 2007 and the World Cup in 2011, top-scoring in both finals, during a 12-year international career between 2004 and 2016.
In total, he played 58 Tests, scoring over 4,000 runs at an average 41.95, including nine centuries and 22 half-centuries. He also played 147 one-day internationals and 37 Twenty20 internationals; he hit 11 ODI hundreds, averaging 39.68, and made seven T20I fifties.
The 37-year-old also captained Kolkata Knight Riders to the Indian Premier League crown in 2012 and 2014 before leaving the franchise to join his hometown side, Delhi Daredevils, ahead of the 2018 tournament.
"This may sound a little wishful but I've seen wishes come true. Two World Cups, highest run-getter in the final of both of these games is the stuff dreams are made of," Gambhir said as he announced his decision on social media.
"Somewhere on the top is being the No 1 Test team in the world. A trophy I'll look at very fondly is the one I got for being awarded the ICC best Test batsman of the year in 2009. For a purist like me, it is a reward for somewhat knowing where my off stump was."
Gambhir will retire after Delhi's Ranji Trophy match against Andra Pradesh that begins on December 6.
