After 10 years of wearing Karnataka colours, featuring in 56 First-Class matches and accounting for 186 wickets, Sreenath Aravind bid adieu to cricket on Tuesday after his team clinched the Vijay Hazare one-day Trophy here at the Ferozeshah Kotla ground. It was Karnataka's first silverware of the season.
The left-arm seamer, just two months shy of his 34th birthday, announced his decision even as the rest of his Karnataka teammates were soaking in the title triumph. The celebrations, however, were muted.
Having made his first-class debut against Saurashtra in December 2008, Aravind said it was great to end his career against the same opposition but on a better note – Karnataka had lost that Ranji Trophy quarterfinal.
“I decided yesterday night and told the team about it. A lot of youngsters are coming in and I have been in and out so I just want to give way to them to try and build their careers. They are marching into a good side now,” Aravind said.
Having played a single T20I for India, Aravind's career has been marked by inconsistencies and injuries. He was part of the unbeaten Karnataka side that established itself as a powerhouse by completing a double-treble — winning the Ranji Trophy, the Irani Cup and the Vijay Hazare Trophy in 2013-14 and in 2014-15, the second of which also saw him pick up a career-best 44 wickets in a season.
Aravind, though, has kept his options open, hoping to continue playing for a couple of years in various T20 leagues across the country while also considering off-field duties with the Karnataka side in future.
“Hopefully my association gives a good response on that. I may take a break for a few months and then maybe I can come back with other T20
leagues,” he said.
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