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Indian leg-spinner Rahul Sharma who played handful of white-ball cricket at international level announced retirement from the international stage and first-class cricket on Sunday. The cricketer who had Bell's Palsy, a form of facial paralysis affecting his vision, rose to fame after delivering a clinical performances in the IPL, represented the country in four ODIs and two T20Is.
The 35-year-old debuted in Indian Premier League with Deccan Charges in 2010 and but his performance a season later for Pune Warriors where he picked 16 wickets in a season earned him a call up to the Indian side. Later a dip in his performance at the international level, facial nerve dysfunction and injury problems cost him heavy as the Punjab boy soon lost his way.
Although, he tried hard to work his way back many times but failed to get the national call again. He also suffered a personal setback last year when he lost his father to post-COVID complications.
While announcing retirement, Sharma confessed that he will be taking part in upcoming Road Safety World Series for Indian Maharajas, who are the defending champions of the series.
In his announcement note, Sharma revealed that he has been battling with depression for years after picking up multiple injuries at crucial juncture of his career. "I trained and worked during my rehab days at National Cricket Academy," he wrote.
The former Indian cricketer also recalled how master blaster Sachin Tendulkar offered him a chance to play in the Road Safety World Series. "I have decided to start my second innings with this league,” Sharma wrote. The leggy also revealed that he will be looking forward to play in foreign leagues as well in order to earn ends meet.
Speaking of Road Safety World Series, the second season of the tournament which features retired cricketer will start from September 10 to October 2 in Lucknow, Jodhpur, Cuttack and Hyderabad. It will feature a total of eight teams, India Legends, Australia Legends, Sri Lanka Legends, West Indies Legends, South Africa Legends, Bangladesh Legends, England Legends and New Zealand Legends.
