Delhi fast bowler, Amit Bhandari retirement from First Class cricket.

Tags: India, Delhi, Amit Bhandari, retirement

Published on: Jun 01, 2011

The out of favor Delhi fast bowler, Amit Bhandari, has announced his retirement from First Class cricket. Bhandari, the 32-year-old pacer, who has not made a Delhi squad since November 2008, finally decided to end his hopes of making a comeback in the state side by deciding to retire.

The out of favor Delhi fast bowler, Amit Bhandari, has announced his retirement from First Class cricket.

Bhandari, the 32-year-old pacer, who has not made a Delhi squad since November 2008, finally decided to end his hopes of making a comeback in the state side by deciding to retire.

"I sat on the bench for 32 matches", said a devastated Bhandari, while talking to the media reporters. "None of the coaches or captains ever told me that why I didn't play enough despite taking lots of wickets. They talked about my lack of pace but then how many in India are tearaway fast bowlers", questioned the pacer once again.

The right arm medium pacer from Delhi made his first class debut in 1997-98 season and went on to play 95 matches picking up 314 wickets at an average of 26.78 and an outstanding economy rate of just 3.16 per over.

After Madan Lal, Bhandari is the only Delhi bowler to go past 300 First Class wickets. His best bowling figures in an innings are 7 for 92. The pacer claimed five-wickets in 16 First Class matches, while three times he returned with 10 wicket hauls.

Bhandari was also called up to the national team of India in 2000 where he made his One Day International (ODI) debut on June 3, 2010 against Pakistan in Dhaka. He waited for another four years to get a second chance at the international level.

He returned against to the international stage against Zimbabwe, where he finished with figures of 3 for 31. But after that second chance, Bhandari never got another chance to prove his mettle in the international arena.

Bhandari enjoyed a successful stint with Delhi where he was also captained by the contemporary national team heroes, Gautam Gambhir, and, Virender Sehwag. Both Gambhir and Sehwag praised the fast bowler for his bowling precision and accuracy.

“Amit was a bowler any captain could count on for making the breakthroughs", said Sehwag.

"He could bowl with precision and was easily one of the best I had seen. His experience was priceless for the team…He was an asset", said Gambhir.

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