Cricket is a sport where cricketers attain their peak performance in their 30s. But, a new trend in cricket shows cricketers retiring at a very young age.
Is the modern cricket with the multiple formats and T20 franchise cricket the reason for this shocking trend?
This article will dive into the reasons why cricketers are retiring at a very young age.
While careers of cricketers can naturally be short due to career-threatening injuries, health, or other factors, it is shocking to see cricketers retiring from the game for reasons the above.
Cricketers retiring from the game
It is very natural for a cricketer to quit the game if his performances do not match the expected level and he is unable to find a place in the team. But why do performers in the game prematurely retire from the game?
Cricketers are expected to peak with age and experience, yet some careers end before they truly blossom.
Nicholas Pooran from West Indies recently at age 29, announced his retirement from international cricket. Having represented West Indies in 167 white-ball matches and captained the side, Pooran’s step to retire came as a huge shock for the cricket world.
South African cricketer Heinrich Klaasen also announced his retirement from international cricket
Why do some cricketers retire so Young?
Injuries, mental health, personal priorities, or the lucrative world of franchise cricket would have led many young stars to hang up their international boots prematurely.
Test Cricket –
Cricket is now played in 3 formats, and Test cricket is the most gruelling format out of the three formats. Five days of intense cricket puts tremendous strain on a player’s mind and body.
This has led to a lot of injuries. So players prefer to opt out of the long, gruelling demands of Test Cricket and prefer playing the lucrative limited over format, which physically has less potential of injuries and may allow the player to add a few more years of cricket in his career.
Skill sets better suited for a particular format
Some cricketers like Hardik Pandya prefer to play the shorter format purely due to his fragile makeup of his body which is prone to injuries.
Not all cricketers are gifted enough to play in all 3 formats, so players prefer to play in the format they are likely to succeed.
Avoiding Test cricket and playing limited overs format seems to be the new trend in the game especially with fast bowlers or with Batsmen who are not technically sound but still effective in the shorter format of the game.
Interference of Cricket Boards
Sometimes, egos come in between Cricket Boards and players. This leads to their sour relationship. West Indies cricket’s downfall is on a similar nature.
Franchise Cricket – The Money Factor
The T20 format has revolutionized cricket and has created a whole new fan base for the game. T20 is the most watched format in cricket and hence the most revenue generating format in the game.
T20 format dominates the International calendar for every cricket-playing nation.
Various Franchise T20 tournaments played across the globe give a platform for international players from different countries to play the league for a lucrative fee.
The Indian Premier League (IPL) is currently the most lucrative T20 league followed by the Big Bash League and the SA 20
A lot of money has entered the game with this format, and a T20 franchise tournament is being played in some country almost every month of the year. This sometimes coincides with the international commitment of a player. Unable to participate in the league could be a huge loss of income for a player.
Players would want to capitalize the most from the limited earning years in the sport.
An early retirement from the game allows the player to then play as a free agent for as many franchise cricket possible.
A young cricketer will perform better and can demand more money for his service from his respective franchise.
In 2025, nearly 15 international players have retired across various formats, some stepping away from a single format, while others bidding farewell to the game entirely.
let us take a look at the five most shocking retirements of 2025.
Heinrich Klaasen
- Reason for Retirement: Mental Fatigue, Franchise cricket
Nicholas Pooran
- Reason for Retirement: Issues with the West Indies Cricket Board, Franchise cricket.
Glenn Maxwell
- Reason for Retirement: Poor Form, to focus on T20 format, international commitments, Franchise cricket.
Steve Smith
- Reason for Retirement: To focus on Test cricket, Franchise cricket, and Broadcasting.
Virat Kohli
- Reason for Retirement: To focus on ODI cricket, IPL.
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