Played with Yuvraj, Harbhajan and Gill, Punjab star retires after 16 years; never got India call-up

After spending 16 years in Indian domestic cricket, Punjab cricketer Gitansh Khera has decided to step away from the sport. Khera made his debut for Punjab in 2010 and spent more than a decade and a half, however an opportunity to represent India at the international stage never arrived. During his long association with Punjab cricket, he shared the dressing room with some of the biggest names for the state, including Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh and current India Test captain Shubman Gill. Khera announced his retirement through a social media post.

Gitansh Khera's emotional retirement

The 35-year-old announced his retirement from the game through a post on his official Instagram handle, signing off with words, "Over and out." Khera expressed his gratitude towards the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) for supporting him throughout his career and looked back fondly on sharing the dressing room with Yuvraj Singh and Harbhajan Singh. He also praised the rise of younger Punjab batters such as Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma.

ALSO READ: Former Australia all-rounder smashes maiden T20I ton for Portugal

However, despite a 16-year career in domestic cricket, Khera admitted that not getting the chance to play for India at the highest level will remain as a big disappointment.

Gitansh Khera's career

Khera served Punjab as a wicketkeeper-batter after making his first-class debut for the state in 2010 and remained in the setup until 2024. Across 56 first-class matches, he managed to amass a total of 2,515 runs at an average of 33. He also enjoyed a productive List A career, scoring 1,017 runs from 40 games at an average of 44.

In 11 T20 games, he managed to score only 96 runs. Despite spending so many years on the domestic circuit, Khera never got the chance to play in IPL.