Varun Aaron to retire from first-class cricket after ongoing Ranji season

Fast bowler Varun Aaron is set to bring down the curtains on his first-class career after the conclusion of Jharkhand‘s ongoing Ranji Trophy clash against Rajasthan in Jamshedpur. The match is Jharkhand’s final league game in the tournament.

With just 1 win from six games, Jharkhand is already out of the race for a place in the quarterfinals. As a result, the ongoing game will be their final game in the ongoing Ranji season. And Varun Aaron has decided to retire from red-ball cricket after the game.

One of the fastest bowlers in the country in his prime, Varun Aaron made his first-class debut in 2008 against Jammu and Kashmir. So far, he has played 65 games in the red-ball format and has picked up 168 wickets with the help of six five-wicket hauls.

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“I have been playing red-ball cricket since 2008. Since I bowled fast, I picked up a number of injuries. I understand now that my body won’t allow me to continue bowling fast in red-ball cricket, so I have decided to quit,” Varun Aaron told ESPNcricinfo.

“This might be my last game in front of my family and the people of Jamshedpur, because we don’t often play white-ball games here [Keenan Stadium]. I had started my career here, so this is quite emotional for me,” he added.

Varun Aaron’s career:

Three years after making his first-class debut and impressing with his pace, Varun Aaron got the chance to make his debut for Team India in international cricket. In October 2011, he made his ODI debut against England at the Wankhede Stadium. In the following month, he made his Test debut against the West Indies at the same iconic venue in Mumbai.

However, he did not enjoy a good run in international cricket as he never really managed to cement his spot in the team. Overall, he played nine Tests and as many ODIs for Team India and picked up a total of 29 wickets. His last appearance for India came during the Bengaluru Test against South Africa in 2015.

“Pace is my favourite thing while bowling. Whenever I bowl, my only focus is to bowl as fast as I can. But you need to understand your body too,” said Aaron who had famously injured England great Stuart Broad with a fiery bouncer in 2014.

While Aaron has retired from red-ball cricket, he will continue to play in the limited-overs format. As per the report in ESPNcricinfo, the 34-year-old will take a call on his white-ball career ahead of the next domestic season.