Robin Bist introduced his retirement from all types of cricket on Saturday. The 35-year-old Bist began his profession with age-group cricket in Delhi, earlier than shifting to Rajasthan in 2005-06.
Soon after shifting to Rajasthan, a younger Bist featured in a facet recreation towards Pakistan XI forward of the ICC Champions Trophy and claimed the wicket of Mohammad Yousuf, earlier than contributing 22 runs with the bat.
A stable middle-order batter, Bist made his First-Class debut within the 2007-2008 season for Rajasthan towards Delhi. Despite the group’s defeat, his 69-run innings within the second essay earned praises from the cricketing fraternity. In the subsequent season, the batter scored his maiden First-Class century and ended up changing into Rajasthan’s highest run-getter with 422 runs, and ultimately made it to the Central Zone squad for the Duleep Trophy.
Bist was one of many key members of Rajasthan’s Ranji Trophy-winning groups of 2010-11 and 2011-12. In the 2011-12 season, he was the group’s highest run-getter with a mammoth 1034 runs from 16 innings, at a mean of 86.16. During the season, he scored 4 centuries, and people performances earned him a spot within the Indian Premier League (IPL) for Delhi Daredevils, and his constant efficiency was lauded by Sunil Gavaskar, who believed that younger weapons like Bist and Ashok Menaria needs to be given extra alternatives.
Though he toured West Indies that 12 months with the India A group, little backing from the State unit and premature accidents meant Bist may by no means actually maintain on to the India A spot.
With the Rajasthan Cricket Association suspended from 2013 finish, Bist moved to Himachal Pradesh within the 2015-16 season, earlier than returning to Rajasthan in 2017. His second homecoming, nevertheless, was not that fulfilling, regardless that he hammered 741 runs within the Ranji Trophy within the 2018-19 season.
An aesthetic and technically sound batter, Bist later moved to Sikkim and Uttarakhand earlier than deciding to hold up his boots.
“I am almost 36 and I knew that I would not get an IPL contract again, neither would I play for India, so I thought over it and decided to move on,” an emotional Bist instructed Sportstar.
He posted a protracted and emotional message on social media, thanking all his coaches, mentors and household for supporting him all through the journey.
“It was an emotional decision for sure. I am grateful to this game for giving me so much, but when you play non-stop cricket for 10-15 years, you end up missing out on your family life. You end up missing out on being with the family when they need you,” Bist mentioned.
“I have had my moments of happiness over the last one decade, and now I plan to sit back, relax a bit with family and then start my full-fledged coaching career…”
Bist has been enjoying membership cricket in Chennai and can formally start his teaching profession with the Salem franchise on the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) later this 12 months.
“When I look back, there are so many happy memories that I cherish,” he mentioned, making it clear that guiding Rajasthan to the Ranji Trophy title will all the time be particular.
“To have shared the dressing room with the biggest stars of the game – Yuvraj Singh, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Ravindra Jadeja – is special. This is the stuff dreams are made of and I will always cherish them…”
In his early days, Bist would journey 50 kilometres usually to attend coaching within the nationwide capital early within the morning. That ardour for the sport and the starvation to carry out saved Bist getting in his lengthy home profession.