Fast bowler Siddarth Kaul has announced his retirement from Indian cricket, nearly six years after his last appearance for the national team. The 34-year-old, who represented India in three T20Is and three ODIs between June 2018 and February 2019, remains open to exploring opportunities to play overseas.
A Remarkable Domestic Career
In the 2023-24 season, Kaul played a pivotal role in Punjab’s maiden Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy victory, emerging as their leading wicket-taker with 16 scalps in 10 matches. He also excelled in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, topping the charts for Punjab with 19 wickets in six games. However, his final Ranji Trophy stint in the 2024-25 season ended without success, as he went wicketless in two matches. Over a 17-year career, Kaul amassed 297 first-class wickets in 88 matches at an average of 26.77, alongside 199 List A wickets at 24.30 and 182 T20 wickets at 22.04, with a tidy economy rate of 7.67.
A Promising Start and Setbacks
Kaul burst onto the scene at just 17, making his first-class debut for Punjab. A year later, he gained attention as part of Virat Kohli’s Under-19 World Cup-winning squad in Malaysia. However, recurring back injuries disrupted his progress, limiting him to just six domestic games between December 2007 and February 2012. Upon his return, Kaul cemented his place as a key player in Punjab’s white-ball teams, thanks to his wicket-taking prowess and skilful death bowling. He retires as the all-time highest wicket-taker in both the Vijay Hazare Trophy (155 wickets) and the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (120 wickets).
The IPL and National Team Journey
Kaul’s standout performances in the IPL earned him a T20I debut on India’s 2018 tour of Ireland. For two seasons with Sunrisers Hyderabad, he consistently delivered, claiming 16 wickets in 2017 and finishing as the team’s joint-highest wicket-taker in 2018 with 21 dismissals. He also played for Delhi Daredevils, Kolkata Knight Riders, and Royal Challengers Bangalore during his IPL career.
Looking Ahead to New Challenges
Kaul remains optimistic about continuing his cricketing journey abroad. Reflecting on his decision to retire, he explained that he wanted to leave the game while still at his best.
Kaul expressed interest in opportunities like county cricket, "Wherever opportunities arise."
"I feel I still have 3-4 years of cricket left in me, but I wanted to go out on a high, when I was at peak fitness and performing well rather than being asked to go due to fitness or non-performance at some other point," he told.
"If you see my graph over the past 9-10 years, I've been performing really well across formats. So I felt this was a good time to go. Hopefully going forward, whatever opportunities arise, like in county cricket, or Legends League, MLC etc, I'd like to explore them if I get the chance."