Sheldon Jackson quits cricket without an India cap

Sheldon Jackson, the experienced wicketkeeper-batter from Saurashtra, has announced his retirement from professional cricket. After a successful 15-year career, Jackson decided to step down from professional cricket following his team's loss against Gujarat in the Ranji Trophy 2024-25 quarterfinals.

Jackson played his final match for Saurashtra on February 8 and will no longer feature in domestic cricket for the team. He never played for India in international cricket, but his domestic career was remarkable. He also had a brief stint with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and made nine appearances in the IPL.

Saurashtra Lost by an Innings and 98 Runs in the Quarterfinals

Gujarat won the toss and chose to bowl first. Saurashtra posted just 216 in their first innings, with Chirag Jani top-scoring at 69 and Jackson adding 14. Chintan Gaja claimed four wickets for Gujarat.

In response, Gujarat posted a massive total of 511 runs, with centuries from Jaymeet Patel (103) and Urvil Patel (140). Dharmendrasinh Jadeja took five wickets for Saurashtra.

Saurashtra suffered another collapse in the second innings, as they were bowled out for 197 runs. Jackson scored 27 runs before they lost by an innings and 98 runs.

Sheldon Jackson Retires from Professional Cricket After Ranji Trophy Quarterfinals Loss

Gujarat secured their place in the semi-finals. With Saurashtra's exit from the tournament, Sheldon Jackson's illustrious domestic cricket career also came to an end.

The 38-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman scored 14 and 27 in his final two matches. During the ongoing Ranji Trophy season, Jackson scored 334 runs in 11 innings across eight matches, at an average of 30.36, with two half-centuries and a best score of 69.

Overall, in his career, he amassed over 7,200 runs in 105 first-class matches, with a remarkable average of over 45. He smashed 21 centuries, and 39 half-centuries, with a highest score of 186.

Sheldon Jackson Made His Debut for Saurashtra in December 2011

Sheldon Jackson made his debut for Saurashtra in December 2011, after spending three years on the fringes of selection. He had an impressive 2012-13 Ranji season, scoring four fifties and three hundreds, including back-to-back centuries in the quarter-final and semi-final.

Jackson secured a place in the India A team for a series against West Indies A following his stellar performance. He was also a key player in Saurashtra's 2015-16 Ranji Trophy win.

Last month, Sheldon Jackson retired from limited-overs cricket after scoring 2,792 runs in 84 innings, with a highest score of 133* in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. He scored 2,792 runs in 86 List A matches with nine centuries and 14 fifties. He also played 84 T20s, scoring 1,812 runs, including one hundred and eleven fifties.

Jackson played 9 matches in the Indian Premier League. He scored 61 runs at an average of 10.17 and a strike rate of 107.02, with a best score of 16. Jackson was solid behind the stumps, recording 7 catches and 2 stumpings. He scored 23 runs in 5 matches in the 2022 season and added 38 runs in 4 matches in 2017.

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