Four-time IPL winner announces his retirement from all forms of cricket; Know here
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Indian domestic giant Karn Sharma retires after two decades in the IPL.
Indian domestic cricket has bid farewell to one of its most experienced domestic leg-spinners. This marks the end of a glorious career that spanned over two decades domestically. Despite not having a decorated career internationally, he left a considerable mark on India’s biggest T20 competition.
The Indian domestic scene was largely renowned for his leg-spin, and his departure would add to the list of legendary spinners departing from the Indian Premier League (IPL). Previously, legendary spinners like Harbhajan Singh, Ravichandran Ashwin and Piyush Chawla played alongside this cricketer, forming a spin duo.
Karn Sharma announces retirement at 38
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Karn Sharma announced his retirement from all formats of competitive cricket on August 23rd 2026, at the age of 38. This implies that he would no longer be part of the IPL after having been part of the league for over a decade.
This announcement came recently following Kanpur Superstars’ nine-wicket defeat to Meerut Mavericks in the ongoing UP T20 League. He also added that the reverse fixture against the same opposition on the 25th of August will be his last game in professional cricket.
The Indian domestic veteran ended his career following a successful domestic run, international experience and large-scale franchise exposure, hence keeping the windows for coaching opportunities open.
Internationally, he represented India in one Test, two ODIs and a T20I game while wrapping up a decorated domestic career with 270 wickets in 97 First-Class matches, 153 wickets in 123 List-A games, and 168 wickets in 191 T20s.
Karn Sharma goes down with four IPL titles
What many legendary players could not have in their IPL career, Karn Sharma has seen all that glory in his career. Having played for four different franchises in the past, Sharma retired with four titles to his name.
Sharma played 90 IPL matches after making his debut in 2009 and finished with 83 wickets and 352 runs. His first title came with Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2016, and then the second followed in the very next year when he moved to the Mumbai Indians in 2017.
He then completed his hat-trick of titles in 2018 when he won the third consecutive title in a row, but this time with the Chennai Super Kings. His final IPL title came with the Chennai Super Kings in 2021.
His retirement marks the end of a career defined not by international greatness but by a long history of longevity and an exceptional IPL trophy cabinet.
How many franchises has Karn Sharma played for?
Karn Sharma has played for four different IPL franchises, CSK, RCB, SRH and MI.
When did Karn Sharma make his IPL debut?
Karn Sharma made his IPL debut back in 2009 for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
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Subhomoy Datta has been a sports writer since 2022. He holds a BSc in Microbiology from Rastraguru Surendranath College, WBSU, and is currently pursuing his master’s at NIT Surathkal. With a growing interest in sports journalism, he enjoys following the game closely and turning sporting moments into stories for fans.