Cricketers who retired in 2025

Published - 22 Dec 2025, 15:16 IST | Updated - 23 Dec 2025, 14:58 IST

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.

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.