Indian veteran Test batter Murali Vijay has announced his retirement from all forms of international cricket. The Tamil Nadu player confirmed the news via a statement on social media where he expressed gratitude towards BCCI and Tamil Nadu Cricket Association for their support throughout his career.
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Addressing the reason behind this decision, Vijay stated that he hopes to venture into the various international T20 leagues held across the cricketing calendar.
He said, "I am excited to announce that I will be exploring new opportunities in the world of cricket & the business side of it, where I will also continue to participate in the sport that I love and challenge myself in new and different environments. I believe that this is the next step in my journey as a cricketer and I look forward to this new chapter in my life."
Vijay made his debut for the Indian team in a Test match against Australia at Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium on November 6 in 2008 and went on to score 3982 runs in 61 matches. Days after his Test debut, Vijay played his first white-ball match for India against England at Nehru Stadium.
After a decent debut performance, Vijay was part of the Indian team for the next two years, where he scored his maiden century in 2010. Then the opener lost his spot in the team and had to wait till 2013 to make a comeback during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
In this series, Vijay consolidated his place in the team with two massive centuries as India won 4-0. The opener gradually made a name for scoring runs overseas and racked up top performances in England, South Africa and Australia. He was part of the Indian team which defeated the English at Lords', where scored a crucial 95.
His career then took a downward trajectory around 2018, where he scored just one century in eight Tests before getting dropped. Despite failing to make an impact in the Indian white-ball set-up, Vijay flourished in the IPL, with dominant performances like the 2010 season where he was a vital cog in CSK's title-winning campaign.
He finished as the second-highest run-getter of the season with 458 runs. He continued this purple patch in 2011 and played a 95-run knock in the final, where the Super Kings took down Royal Challengers Bangalore.
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