Former spinner Iqbal Abdullah announces his retirement from competitive cricket
Former spinner of Royal Challengers Bangalore and Kolkata Knight riders Iqbal Abdullah announced his retirement from all forms of competitive cricket on Friday. He had made his debut in first class for Mumbai during the 2007–08 season and went on to make 71 appearances through his career, scoring 2641 runs and taking 220 wickets.
He was known for his handy lower-middle-order contributions with the bat, scoring three FC centuries in the process. The 33-year-old, who hails from Azamgarh, was part of the World Cup-winning Indian U-19 team in 2008, managing 13 wickets in the tournament.
After his tryst with Mumbai, the left-arm spinner also played for Mizoram, Sikkim, Kerala, and Uttarakhand.
While announcing his retirement, he wrote on X that, “With a heavy heart, time has come to say good bye, good bye to this competitive game, which gave me great recognition and exposure and made me who I am today.”
He further added that “I am blessed with lovely family and friends who stood beside me in every moment of my time. Hanging boots is never easy, but everything has its time.”