From Pooran to Boult: Players who retired early to focus on franchise leagues

West Indies batter Nicholas Pooran announced his surprise international retirement on June 9 at age 29, citing “much thought and reflection.” The Trinidadian played 167 matches, including a record 106 T20Is in which he scored 2,275 runs.

He will now lead MI New York in Major League Cricket. Like several others before him, Pooran has chosen to prioritise franchise cricket over international duties.

Here are some players who retired early from international cricket to focus on franchise leagues:

1) Heinrich Klaasen: Just a week before Pooran’s announcement, the South African wicketkeeper-batter also retired from international cricket at 32. He will now play in Major League Cricket, leading the Seattle Orcas, while continuing to feature in leagues like the SA20, IPL, and The Hundred.

Quinton de Kock has continued to feature in T20 leagues since his retirement in 2023.
| Photo Credit:
SHIV KUMAR PUSHPAKAR/ The Hindu

2) Quinton de Kock: Another Proteas star who stepped away from international cricket early. Quinton de Kock retired from Tests at 29 and from ODIs after the 2023 World Cup, aged 30, choosing franchise cricket and family time over the national setup. Since then, he has featured in the IPL, SA20, CPL, and Major League Cricket.

Trent Boult has been a regular on the T20 franchise circuit since 2022.
| Photo Credit:
PTI

3) Trent Boult: The New Zealand fast bowler retired at 34 after the 2024 T20 World Cup. He had already opted out of New Zealand’s central contract in 2022 to prioritise franchise cricket. Since then, Boult has featured in the IPL, the Big Bash League (BBL), SA20, the ILT20, MLC, and Abu Dhabi T10 League.

Faf du Plessis retired at 36 to prioritise T20 cricket.
| Photo Credit:
AP

4) Faf du Plessis: The former South Africa captain retired from international cricket in 2021 at the age of 36 to focus on T20 leagues. Since then, Faf du Plessis has been a regular in the IPL, SA20, CPL, and MLC, and also featured in the BBL and The Hundred in 2022.

AB de Villiers played in IPL till 2021.
| Photo Credit:
MURALI KUMAR K/ The Hindu

5) AB De Villiers: One of the best modern-day batters across formats, AB de Villiers retired from international cricket in 2018 at the age of 34, saying he was “tired.” However, he continued to play in T20 leagues, featuring in the IPL until the 2021 season. He also appeared in the BBL, Mzansi Super League, Vitality Blast, and the Bangladesh Premier League during the 2019–20 season.