The year 2025 saw a series of unexpected retirement announcements that took the world by surprise. Indian fans were stunned when Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli announced their retirement from Test cricket within the span of a week. The decision by the two batting stalwarts, revealed during the IPL 2025 season, came as a shock, especially with both players expected to feature in the England Test series scheduled for the following month.
Meanwhile, South African wicketkeeper-batter Heinrich Klaasen chose
to bring an early end to his international career to focus on franchise cricket. West Indies star Nicholas Pooran also made a similar decision, with the explosive wicketkeeper-batter hanging up his international boots at the age of 29. It is worth noting that New Zealand's Ross Taylor announced his retirement this year and came out of it to play for Samoa at the 20 World Cup regional qualifiers. Meanwhile, in this article, CricTracker lists the names of the top 10 players who retired in the calendar year 2025.
Here is a list of the top 10 famous Cricketers who retired in 2025
1. Rohit Sharma
Legendary Indian batter, Rohit Sharma announced his retirement from Test cricket on May 07, bringing an end to an 11-year career in the longest format. The India captain confirmed the decision through a social media post, stating that while his Test career has concluded, he will continue to represent the country in ODIs. Rohit had retired from T20Is after leading India to the T20 World Cup title last year.
The opening batter finishes his red-ball career with 4301 runs from 67 matches at an average of 40.57, including 12 centuries and 18 half-centuries, with a career-best 212 against South Africa in Ranchi in 2019. He captained India in 24 Tests after taking over from Virat Kohli in 2022, recording a 12-9 win-loss record as leader. His retirement came ahead of India’s five-Test tour of England, with the selectors naming Shubman Gill as the new Test captain.
2. Steven Smith
Australia’s star batter Steven Smith announced his retirement from ODI cricket on 05 March, bringing the curtain down on a celebrated 50-over career. His final ODI appearance came in the Champions Trophy semi-final against India in Dubai, where he top-scored for Australia with a 73 in a losing cause.
The 35-year-old featured in 170 ODIs, scoring 5,800 runs at an impressive average of 43.28 and a strike rate of 86.96. His tally included 12 centuries and 35 half-centuries, with a career best score of 164 against New Zealand in 2016. Smith finished as Australia’s 12th highest run-getter in ODIs and took 90 catches, while chipping in with 28 wickets after debuting as a leg-spinning all-rounder. A two-time World Cup winner in 2015 and 2023, Smith also captained Australia in 64 ODIs. While he has moved away from the 50-over format, he will continue to represent Australia in Test cricket and T20Is.
3. Virat Kohli
Former Indian skipper, Virat Kohli, hung up his boots from Test cricket on May 12, bringing an end to a remarkable 14-year stint in the longest format. One of the modern greats of the game, Kohli finished his Test career with 9,230 runs in 123 matches at an average of 46.85, including 30 centuries.
Kohli also exited as India’s most successful Test captain, having led the team to 40 victories in 68 matches. More than the numbers, he will be remembered as a passionate flagbearer of Test cricket during an era dominated by white-ball formats and franchise leagues. In a heartfelt Instagram post, Kohli described Test cricket as deeply personal and the lessons the format taught him. He said stepping away was difficult but felt right.
4. Cheteshwar Pujara
India’s Test specialist Cheteshwar Pujara had announced his retirement from all forms of Indian cricket, bringing the curtains down on an impressive red-ball career. The 37-year-old shared the news on social media, describing the honour of wearing the Indian jersey.
Pujara played 103 Tests and five ODIs for India after making his debut in 2010. A reliable No. 3 for more than a decade, he scored 7,195 Test runs at an average of 43.60, including 19 centuries and 35 fifties. At home, he averaged over 52. Known for his patience and fighting spirit, Pujara played crucial roles in India’s historic Test series wins in Australia in 2018-19 and 2020-21. His last Test came in the 2023 World Test Championship final. Even after moving out of the national setup, Pujara continued to feature in red-ball cricket with Saurashtra and Sussex.
5. Nicholas Pooran
Hard-hitting West Indies batter Nicholas Pooran made a shocking retirement from all international cricket at just 29. Pooran walked away as West Indies’ most-capped T20I player and their leading run-scorer in the format. The southpaw who announced the decision on June 10, Pooran was at the peak of his T20 form, smashing a record 170 sixes in a calendar year and enjoying his most successful IPL season, where he crossed 500 runs for the first time with 40 sixes.
Despite never featuring in Test cricket, he had an impressive limited-overs career, scoring 1,983 runs in 61 ODIs and 2,275 runs in 106 T20Is. Pooran also captained the West Indies in white-ball cricket in 2022 but stepped down after a disappointing T20 World Cup.
6. Heinrich Klaasen
South Africa wicketkeeper-batter HeinrichKlaasen announced his retirement from international cricket, bringing the curtain down on a seven-year career with the Proteas. The 33-year-old, who had already stepped away from Test cricket in 2024, decided to move on from the white-ball formats to prioritise his family and franchise cricket.
Klaasen said representing South Africa was the biggest honour of his career. He reflected on his journey, the friendships he built, and the coaches who continued to believe in him despite an unconventional path to the national side. He made his ODI and T20I debut in 2018 and finished with over 3,000 runs across both formats. In ODIs, he scored 2,141 runs at an average of 43.69, including a memorable 174 against Australia in 2023.
7. Glenn Maxwell
Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell stepped away from ODI cricket this year, bringing the curtains down on one of the most respected ODI careers. The 36-year-old retired from the 50-over format to focus on T20 cricket, with an eye on the 2026 T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.
Maxwell played 149 ODIs for Australia between 2012 and 2025, scoring 3,990 runs at an average of 33.81 and a strike rate of 126.70, while also picking up 77 wickets. He was a member of Australia’s World Cup-winning squads in 2015 and 2023. His unbeaten 201 against Afghanistan in the 2023 World Cup, achieved while chasing from No.6, is widely regarded as one of the greatest ODI innings ever played.
8. Chris Woakes
England all-rounder Chris Woakes has announced his retirement from international cricket on 29 September. The 36-year-old decided to be left out of England’s Ashes plans following a shoulder dislocation suffered in the fifth Test against India at The Oval. Woakes’ final appearance for England came as he walked out to bat at No.11 with his arm in a sling in a last-ditch effort to save the Test.
Woakes represented England in 62 Tests, 122 ODIs, and 33 T20Is, picking 396 wickets and 3,705 runs across formats. A double World Cup winner, he played a crucial role in England’s historic ODI World Cup triumph in 2019 and was also part of the T20 World Cup-winning team in 2022.
9. Mitchell Starc
Australia suffered a significant setback ahead of the next T20 World Cup after Mitchell Starc announced his retirement from T20Is. The veteran left-arm pacer decided to continue to represent the country in Tests and ODIs while remaining available for domestic T20 leagues, including the IPL.
Starc, who last played a T20I during the 2024 World Cup in the Caribbean, finished his T20I career with 79 wickets, second only to Adam Zampa among Australians. His standout moment came in the 2021 T20 World Cup, where Australia lifted their maiden title. He revealed that managing his workload will help him stay fresh for campaigns including the Ashes, an India Test tour, and the 2027 ODI World Cup.
10. Kane Williamson
New Zealand great Kane Williamson brought an end to his T20I career. The 35-year-old moved away as New Zealand’s second-highest run-scorer in T20Is, having scored 2,575 runs in 93 matches at an average of 33.44, including 18 half-centuries and a top score of 95.
Williamson made his T20I debut in 2011 and captained the Black Caps on 75 occasions, leading them to T20 World Cup semi-finals in 2016 and 2022 and a runner-up finish in 2021. His memorable 85 against Australia in the 2021 final remains the highest score by a captain in a Men’s T20 World Cup final. His last T20I appearance came at the 2024 T20 World Cup against Papua New Guinea. Williamson will continue to represent New Zealand in Tests and ODIs.
Here is the full list of players who retired in 2025
| Sr. No. | Player | Country | Format |
| 1 | Rohit Sharma | India | Tests |
| 2 | Virat Kohli | India | Tests |
| 3 | Cheteshwar Pujara | India | All formats |
| 4 | Wriddhiman Saha | India | All formats |
| 5 | Piyush Chawla | India | All formats |
| 6 | Mohit Sharma | India | All formats |
| 7 | Varun Aaron | India | All formats |
| 8 | Rishi Dhawan | India | White-ball cricket |
| 9 | Amit Mishra | India | All professional cricket |
| 10 | Andre Russell | West Indies | All formats |
| 11 | Nicholas Pooran | West Indies | All international cricket |
| 12 | Heinrich Klaasen | South Africa | All international cricket |
| 13 | Rassie van der Dussen | South Africa | ODIs |
| 14 | Glenn Maxwell | Australia | ODIs |
| 15 | Marcus Stoinis | Australia | ODIs |
| 16 | Mitchell Starc | Australia | T20Is |
| 17 | Steve Smith | Australia | ODIs |
| 18 | Martin Guptil | New Zealand | All formats |
| 19 | Kane Williamson | New Zealand | T20Is |
| 20 | Mahmudullah | Bangladesh | All formats |
| 21 | Tamim Iqbal | Bangladesh | All formats |
| 22 | Mushfiqur Rahim | Bangladesh | T20Is |
| 23 | Usman Shinwari | Pakistan | All formats |
| 24 | Asif Ali | Pakistan | All formats |
| 25 | Dimuth Karunaratne | Sri Lank | Test cricket |
| 26 | Peter Moor | Zimbabwe, Ireland | All formats |
| 27 | Shapoor Zadran | Afghanistan | All formats |
| 28 | Angelo Mathews | Sri Lanka | Tests |
| 29 | Krishnappa Gowtham | India | International and First Class |
