Lucknow, August 23: Visibly emotional and fighting back tears, veteran Indian leg-spinner Karn Sharma announced his retirement from all formats of competitive cricket. The 38-year-old made the announcement following the Kanpur Superstars' 9-wicket defeat to the Meerut Mavericks in the UP T20 League Season 4, confirming that the reverse fixture against Meerut on Tuesday, August 25, will be his final professional game.
Sharma reflected on the UP T20 league and the sudden finality of his long journey.
_"It [the UP T20 League] is actually a very good initiative. For me and others, it is a good opportunity," Sharma said. "The message is that... I just want to retire. I will be playing my last game on Tuesday, and I will be retiring from all formats."_
When asked if he had a final message, the veteran spinner expressed profound gratitude to the institutions and people who shaped his career.
_"To all those who supported me, I just want to say thanks," he added. "My family, the BCCI, Railways, UPCA, Andhra, all those who have supported me in this journey, I am really grateful. I will be available for coaching and all after this."_
Born in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, Sharma rose through the UPCA system, representing the state at the Under-14 level before establishing himself as a domestic heavyweight with Railways. Making his debut in 2007, he truly captured national attention during the 2012-13 season when he claimed 21 wickets at an average of 19.04 in just three Ranji Trophy matches, earning the BCCI award for the Best Under-25 Cricketer.
Following in the footsteps of Praveen Kumar and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Sharma became the third cricketer from Meerut to make massive national headlines when Sunrisers Hyderabad purchased him for ₹3.75 crore in the 2014 IPL auction, making him the highest-paid uncapped player at the time. His consistent performances earned him a national call-up, and he went on to represent India in one Test, two ODIs, and one T20 International.
He walks away with 270 wickets in 97 First-Class matches, 153 wickets in 123 List-A games, and 168 wickets in 191 T20s.
However, his legacy is most famously cemented in the Indian Premier League. Often referred to as the ultimate lucky charm, Sharma has won four IPL titles. He holds the incredibly rare distinction of achieving a championship "three-peat" across three different franchises in consecutive years: Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2016, Mumbai Indians in 2017, and Chennai Super Kings in 2018, before winning a fourth with CSK in 2021.
His value in the T20 format remained sky-high until the very end as he became the highest-priced player at the UP T20 2026 auction for the second consecutive season when the Kanpur Superstars acquired him for ₹23 Lakh.
Following the announcement, Meerut Mavericks skipper and Indian international Rinku Singh praised Sharma's extensive contributions to the game.
_"I want to say that everything has been great in Bhaiya's career," Rinku stated. "He played well for the franchises, for India. I wish him good luck for his future endeavors."_
Swastik Chikara, the Mavericks' young opener, echoed the sentiment, highlighting the impact of sharing the field with a player of Sharma's caliber.
_"Karn bhai has had a fantastic career. He has been very lucky for everyone, and whichever team he has played for, that team has gone on to become champions," Chikara said. "He’s a very good person and has played excellent cricket. He has played for India and achieved so much. I'm very happy that his retirement happened in front of me today and that I got to witness it. Having such a big player playing alongside us is a very special thing for me. So, thank you, I don't really know what more I can say."_
Karn Sharma will bowl his final overs on Tuesday, August 25, at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, closing the chapter on a nearly two-decade-long career.
