New Delhi: Former Karnataka all-rounder K Gowtham, who played one ODI for India, on Monday announced his retirement from all forms of cricket. A handy off-spinner and a big-hitter down the order, Gowtham appeared in 59 First-Class and 68 List A matches for Karnataka, taking 224 and 96 wickets respectively.
From 92 T20s, the 37-year-old took 74 wickets and later reinvented himself as a useful range-hitter, evidenced by his strike-rate of 158.18.
His lone appearance in national colours came in July 2021 during an ODI against Sri Lanka in Colombo.
“I have made a lot of comebacks, returning from the brink on more than one occasion. However, had I worked my way back into the Karnataka team again, it would have been unfair to the youngsters who are the future of the team.
“While I had the option of going to another state, I never seriously considered it,” said Gowtham while announcing his retirement, who was flanked by KSCA president Venkatesh Prasad, vice-president Sujith Somasundar and secretary Santosh Menon.
Gowtham’s IPL career
For a while, Gowtham was also a sought-after player in the IPL, having donned the jersey of Punjab Kings, Chennai Super Kings, Mumbai Indians, Lucknow Super Giants and Rajasthan Royals over the years.
In fact, Gowtham was acquired by CSK for Rs 9.25 crore ahead of IPL 2021, which at the time was the highest price for an uncapped player.
“He’s been a fantastic cricketer, a fighter to the core, and has done extremely well as an all-rounder. I think he has got close to 400 wickets.
“That shows his commitment, his fitness, and also shows how loyal he is to Karnataka, because he said that he did have some opportunities to play outside Karnataka, but he chose not to,” said Prasad.
For Karnataka, his final set of matches came in 2023, and his last match in the IPL was for LSG against Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2024.