Dhawal Kulkarni set to retire from cricket after Mumbai's upcoming Ranji Trophy contest against Assam - Reports
Veteran pacer Dhawal Kulkarni is likely to retire from all forms of cricket after Mumbai's Ranji Trophy league-stage campaign comes to a close with a final-round contest against Assam, according to a report by the Times of India. The match is scheduled to begin at the MCA's Ground in BKC on Friday, February 16.
The right-arm seamer had a prolific domestic career and also marked his presence for various franchises in the Indian Premier League (IPL). He even had a brief stint with the national team.
Kulkarni, in his prime, was a mainstay in the Mumbai Ranji Trophy lineup. He has been part of the domestic side's previous four title victories in 2008-09, 2009-10, 2012-13, and 2015-16. Furthermore, he has always been among the wickets in the aforementioned season finale clashes, with his performance in the 2012-13 edition against Saurashtra at the Wankhede Stadium perhaps standing out.
The pacer claimed nine wickets to guide Mumbai to the trophy, and he registered yet another Ranji Trophy final five-wicket haul in the 2015-16 final against the same opponent.
Kulkarni will end his career with 95 first-class appearances, the first of which came for the Indian 'A' side against Australia 'A' in 2008. He has taken a total of 281 wickets in red-ball cricket at an average of 27.31.
As far as his white-ball career is concerned, Kulkarni played 130 List-A matches and 190 T20 games, ending with a combined total of 377 wickets.
The veteran bowler has only been a sporadic presence in the ongoing Ranji Trophy season so far, making three appearances and claiming seven wickets. Mumbai are cruising in the league stage so far, losing only one match and occupying the top spot in Elite Group B.
Dhawal Kulkarni played 12 ODIs and 2 T20Is for Team India
Possessing a smooth action and an ability to make the new ball talk across formats, Kulkarni had a chance with the Indian national white-ball team from the 2014-2016 period, but he could not cement his position.
He made his international debut during the tour of England, ending up wicketless in Birmingham. His best display came in his third appearance itself, with figures of 4-34 against Sri Lanka, in the very same contest where Rohit Sharma scored his famous 264*.
The right-arm pacer also played a couple of short format matches for the national side, both coming during India's tour of Zimbabwe in 2016. He picked up three wickets at an economy rate of 6.87 but did not make any appearance in the future.
Kulkarni was also deemed a valuable asset in the eyes of the IPL franchises, initially as a key local player and then as a reliable backup candidate. He represented the Mumbai Indians for the bulk of his career in the league across two separate stints, with his last appearance coming in the 2021 edition.
The Mumbai-pacer switched to the Rajasthan Royals ahead of the 2014 season, and he also played for the (now defunct) Gujarat Lions, with whom he had a landmark 2016 season. He claimed 18 wickets that season at an average of 20.22 and an economy rate of 7.42.