Nicholas Pooran sprung a surprise when he announced his international retirement, aged 29. Here are eight other players whose exits seemed premature and shocking.
Pooran’s retirement from international cricket at just 29 has shockwaves through the sport. In an era where T20 leagues offer financial security and flexible schedules, his decision to step away from West Indies duty to focus on franchise commitments feels practical, yet, it wasn't something that was expected so soon.
Pooran isn’t the first, and he certainly won’t be the last to prematurely step away from international cricket. Over the recent years, several gifted players have walked away earlier than expected for various reasons. From unfulfilled potential to shock departures that left fans wondering, here are cricket's most notable early international retirements.
AB de Villiers
The South African announced his retirement from international cricket in May 2018 at age 34, saying he was “tired”. The decision came immediately after the IPL season, ending a 14-year career during which he became South Africa's second-highest ODI run-scorer (9,427) and fourth-highest Test scorer (8,765). De Villiers held the record for fastest ODI century (31 balls) and had recently returned from a Test break in 2017 intended to manage workload. He made himself available for the 2019 ODI World Cup, but the then-chief selector, Linda Zondi, turned down the offer. Despite retiring, de Villiers continued playing franchise cricket until 2021.
Trent Boult
Then 33-year-old, Boult stepped away from New Zealand's central contract in August 2022, effectively ending his full-time international career. The left-arm seamer cited wanting to spend more time with family while continuing franchise cricket opportunities as the reason for his call. He was available for occasional national selection, having played in the 2022 T20 World Cup and 2023 ODI World Cup post the contract release, but announced his international retirement after the 2024 T20 World Cup. With 317 Test wickets, 211 ODI scalps and 83 T20I wickets, he ended as one of New Zealand’s greats. Boult continues playing in T20 leagues and has picked up 42 T20 wickets at 24.33 since retiring.
Meg Lanning
Lanning announced her international retirement in November 2023, ending a 13-year career as Australia's most successful captain. The decision followed an extended break from cricket earlier that year for personal health reasons for the 31-year-old. Following her seventh World Cup victory in February 2023, five of which came as captain, Lanning confessed that she questioned her willingness to keep playing and had to persuade herself to continue. She retired as Australia's third-highest run-scorer in ODIs (4,602) and made the most runs for her side in T20Is (3,405). Despite stepping away from internationals, Lanning continues to play T20 cricket.
Quinton de Kock
De Kock announced his retirement from Test cricket in December 2021 when he was just 29, to spend more time with his growing family. The decision came mid-series against India, a few months after he had expressed concerns with the restrictions of bubble life in the COVID-19 pandemic. Before his Test retirement, de Kock was also in the news for not following Cricket South Africa's team directive requiring players to take the knee. He continued playing ODIs until the 2023 World Cup before retiring from that format as well, finishing with 6,770 runs. The wicketkeeper-batter remains active in T20 leagues worldwide, a year after he also hung up his boots in T20Is.
Heinrich Klaasen
Just months before the T20 World Cup in India, Klaasen, one of the most destructive T20 batters, announced his international retirement, days after refusing a hybrid contract from Cricket South Africa. The 33-year-old's decision shocked the cricketing community given his sensational white-ball form which saw him score five successive fifties - four with a strike rate over 110 - in his last six ODIs. He also made a 27-ball 52 against India in the T20 World Cup final last year, keeping the Proteas in the hunt before his untimely dismissal. Klaasen, who had already retired from Tests, ends with 2,141 ODI runs at a strike rate of 124.36 and exactly 1,000 T20I runs. He has struck at 163.04 since the start of 2024 in T20s, and will continue playing franchise cricket.
Marcus Stoinis
The 35-year-old Stoinis announced his retirement from ODI cricket in February this year, after being selected in the preliminary 15-member squad for the Champions Trophy. The sudden decision notwithstanding, he said it was the “right time” to step away from the format, where he played 71 ODIs, scoring 1,495 runs and picking up 48 wickets. Stoinis was part of Australia's 2023 World Cup-winning squad, playing a key bowling role in the match against Pakistan. He played just one ODI post the World Cup. While no longer contracted by Cricket Australia, he remains available for T20Is and continues playing franchise cricket, focusing on the “next chapter” of his career.
Sarah Taylor
The England wicketkeeper Taylor retired from international cricket in 2019 at the age of 30 due to anxiety struggles, ending a 13-year international career that had several highs. She represented the country in 226 appearances, winning two World Cups (2009 and 2017) and three Ashes series. At the time of retirement, she also held the women's record for most international dismissals by a keeper (232). In England's 2017 World Cup triumph, she scored 396 runs at 49.50, a year after taking an extended break from the game. She was also absent from the 2018 T20 World Cup, and then withdrew midway through the 2019 Ashes, following which she announced her retirement. Taylor continued playing franchise cricket and is now working with several teams as a coach.
Virat Kohli
Kohli first retired from T20Is following the 2024 T20 World Cup aged 35. He finished as the second-highest run-scorer in the format at that time (4,188). However, it was always expected that T20Is would be the first format Kohli would retire from. It was his sudden retirement from Test cricket last month (May 12, 2025) that caught everyone off-guard. Always championing the format, Kohli scored 9,230 runs at 46.85. His stocks kept consistently dipping in the format since the COVID-19 pandemic, but a retirement right before a tour of England came as a rude shock for his fans. "As I step away from this format, it’s not easy — but it feels right," he said in his retirement post. Kohli is still active in the ODI format and in the IPL.
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