Murali Vijay retires from all forms of international cricket

Out-of-favour India player Murali Vijay on Monday announced he was retiring from international cricket.

The right-handed batter who featured in 61 Tests, 17 ODIs and nine T20 Internationals last played for the country in the Perth Test against Australia in December 2018.

His Test debut was against Australia in the 2008-09 season at Nagpur as a replacement for Gautam Gambhir.

He featured in first-class and List A cricket for Tamil Nadu late in 2019. As far as professional cricket is concerned, he last turned out for Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League in 2020.

"Today, with immense gratitude and humility, I announce my retirement from all forms of international cricket," Vijay said in a statement on Twitter.

"I am excited to announce that I will be exploring new opportunities in the world of cricket and the business side of it, where I will also continue to participate in the sport that I love and challenge myself in new and different environments," the 38-year-old Vijay added.

"I believe this is the next step in my journey as a cricketer and I look forward to the new chapter in my life."

He thanked the BCCI, TNCA, CSK and Chemplast Sanmar and said, "I am grateful for the opportunities given to me by the Board of Control for Cricket in India, Tamil Nadu Cricket Association, Chennai Super Kings and Chemplast Sanmar."

"To all my team-mates, coaches, mentors and support staff: It has been an absolute privilege to have played with you all, and, I thank you for helping me turn my dream into reality," he further said.

Thanking fans for their support through his ups and downs, he said, "I will forever cherish the moments I spent with you all and your support has always been a source of motivation for me."

"Lastly, I would like to thank my family & friends for their unconditional love and support throughout my career. They have been my backbone and without them, I would not have been able to achieve what I have today," he said.

In 61 Tests, Vijay scored 3982 runs at an average of 38.28 with a highest score of 167. He hit 12 hundreds and 15 half-centuries.

In 17 ODIs, he made 339 runs and in seven T20Is, he got 169 runs.

In the IPL, he shone for CSK and the runs he scored turned the attention on him. In the 2010 season, Vijay scored 458 runs for the Super Kings with a century and two fifties, including a blistering 127 against Rajasthan Royals in Chennai, which brought him into the national reckoning.