Former Mumbai Indians speedster to retire after last Ranji trophy league match

A former Mumbai Indians (MI) pacer has set his final date in professional cricket, revealing that he will retire after the last league match of the ongoing Ranji Trophy 2024 season. The veteran pacer will announce his retirement from the sport after Mumbai’s match against Assam, which begins on Friday (February 16), a TOI report confirmed. 

Dhawal Kulkarni has been an integral cog as an Indian pacer in the MI setup, but he went unsold in the last few auctions (IPL 2022, IPL 2023) and eventually went out of favour. However, in the IPL 2022 season, Mumbai Indians roped him in midway through the season after the team's pace battery was struggling to deliver the goods.

Kulkarni has featured in 92 IPL matches and taken 86 wickets after making his debut way back in 2008. Kulkarni has mostly played for Rajasthan Royals and he has also played quite a number of games for Mumbai Indians and now-defunct Gujarat Lions.

The Mumbai Indians star had a limited international career

The veteran fast bowler received his first India cap in 2014, during an ODI match against England in Birmingham. Over the course of his international career, he participated in 12 ODIs and 2 T20Is, securing 21 wickets. His final international appearance came in 2016 against New Zealand in Ranchi.

Although his international opportunities were limited, Kulkarni enjoyed an illustrious 16-year stint in first-class cricket for Mumbai, featuring in 95 matches.

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He was a key contributor to Mumbai's last 4 Ranji Trophy victories, claiming a total of 281 wickets at an average of 27.31, with 15 five-wicket hauls and a best bowling performance of seven for 50.

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