Meet Piyush Chawla, Legendary Bowler, Two-Time World Cup Champion, Retiring At 36 From All Formats

As the country is still reeling with the excitement of Royal Challengers Bengaluru's IPL 2025 victory after more than a decade-long wait, a former IPL legend shocked all cricket lovers with an unexpected retirement. Piyush Chawla, who is only 36 years old, recently took to his social media handle and announced that he had bidden adieu to the 'beautiful game'. As a spin bowler, Piyush is a two-time World Cup champion and also a one-time IPL winner. 

Piyush Chawla was encouraged by his childhood coach to become a leg spinner

Piyush Chawla was born in the city of Aligarh in Uttar Pradesh in December 1988. However, he spent his childhood in Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh, where he learnt the basics of cricket at a young age. Piyush was guided by his coach, KK Gautam and played at the Sonakpur Stadium. While announcing his retirement, Piyush Chawla expressed his gratitude to two of his coaches who shaped his life, KK Gautam and Pankaj Saraswat. He mentioned his coaches and penned down:

“I owe my deepest gratitude to my coaches – Shri K.K. Gautam and Late Shri Pankaj Saraswat — for nurturing and shaping me into the cricketer I became."

Piyush Chawla was known as a leg spinner legend, and in an Instagram post, he revealed that it was coach Gautam who asked him to switch to leg spin. After observing his skills, the coach encouraged Piyush to become a leg spinner, which changed his life for the better, said the bowler. On his social media, he had written about his coach: 

"The man my coach Mr KK Gautam who asked me to switch to leg spin when he saw me bowling in nets just for fun. So he asked me to become leg spinner / middle order batsman and leave the opening batting slot. And which turned my life around for good."

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Piyush Chawla played for India in the U-19 team 

Piyush Chawla played in the Indian U-19 team against England in 2005. The bowler was just 16 years old and proved his mettle by claiming 13 wickets in two U-19 Tests. He went on to play another U-19 match against Australia, which resulted in India winning the game. Then he played for the Challenger Trophy and was selected for the team India A. In this match, he took wickets from cricket legends Sachin Tendulkar, M.S. Dhoni, and Yuvraj Singh. 

Piyush Chawla made his Test debut in 2006 

After his impressive performance in the Challenger Trophy and Duleep Trophy matches, Piyush Chawla made it to the Indian Test squad and played against England in 2006. This marked Piyush becoming the second youngest Test debutant, with Sachin Tendulkar in the first place. In the next year, he made his ODI debut and impressed everyone with his great wicket-taking skills. 

Piyush Chawla was a two-time World Cup champion 

Piyush Chawla was part of the Indian cricket squad that won the T20 World Cup in 2007. He also played in the team which won the World Cup (ODI) in 2011. In the 2011 World Cup, many people questioned the inclusion of Piyush Chawla in the team. However, the then-team captain, M.S. Dhoni, had complete trust in him and stated that he was the only bowler who could also bat and could come in handy when needed. 

Piyush Chawla's IPL legacy 

Piyush Chawla was known as an IPL legend. He was in various seasons of the league and was part of many different teams, such as Punjab Kings, Chennai Super Kings, Kolkata Knight Riders and Mumbai Indians. He played his first IPL match as a part of the Punjab team, and his last IPL match was with Mumbai Indians in the 2024 season. He has an impressive record of playing 192 IPL matches and taking 192 wickets in the same league. In 2014 he was also part of the winning team, Kolkata Knight Riders. 

Piyush Chawla married his childhood neighbour, Anubhuti 

While in Moradabad, Piyush Chawla interacted with his neighbour, Anubhuti and the two gradually fell in love together. The couple dated for two years and then decided to take the next step in their life together. They got engaged in 2013 and got married in the same year. Making their family complete, the couple welcomed a baby boy, Advik, in 2017. Piyush Chawla often shares adorable moments with his son on social media and gives everyone a glimpse of his joyous family life. 

Piyush Chawla announced his retirement at the age of 36 

Piyush Chawla announced on his social media that he has retired from all three cricket formats. In a long and heartfelt post, the bowler expressed his gratitude to each and every one of the people who supported him throughout his cricket journey. He also wrote that even though he is stepping away from the crease, cricket will always be a part of him. Carrying the lessons he learnt from his sportsman journey, Piyush said that he will be embarking on a new chapter in his life. In his own words, Piyush Chawla said:

"After more than two decades on the field, the time has come to bid adieu to the beautiful game. Today is a deeply emotional day for me as I officially announce my retirement from all forms of international and domestic cricket."

See the post here. 

What are your thoughts on Piyush Chawla retiring from cricket at the age of 36? Let us know. 

Also Read: Indian Cricketer Piyush Chawla Becomes A Proud Father To A Baby Boy

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