SRINAGAR, Oct 20: Parvez Rasool achieved many firsts in his cricketing career. He was the first player from Jammu and Kashmir to represent India in international cricket, and was also the first cricketer from the region to feature in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
But after 17 years of playing First-Class cricket—claiming 352 wickets and amassing 5,648 runs—the all-rounder has decided to move on from all formats of the game. The 36-year-old, who hails from Bijbehara in Kashmir, informed the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Saturday about his retirement.
“When we started playing, not many took Jammu and Kashmir cricket seriously. But we went on to beat some of the big teams and also fare well in the Ranji Trophy and other BCCI affiliated tournaments. I led the team for a fairly long period and it gives me immense satisfaction to have contributed a bit to the team’s success story,” an emotional Rasool said.
While his international career did not last beyond two games for India—a solitary T20I and one ODI—Rasool was one of the most consistent performers at the domestic level. The fact that he went on to win the Lala Amarnath Trophy for the best all-rounder in the Ranji Trophy on two occasions—in 2013/14 and 2017/18—speaks volumes about his contribution to the game.