Former India and Karnataka all rounder Krishnappa Gowtham has retired from all forms of cricket. The 37 year old announced his decision on Monday, bringing an end to a professional career that lasted 14 years. Gowtham made the announcement at the Karnataka State Cricket Association office in Bengaluru. His parents, wife and daughter were present during the announcement. KSCA president and former India fast bowler Venkatesh Prasad also attended the event and praised Gowtham’s journey in the game.
Speaking about his decision, Gowtham said the retirement was largely emotional. He said he now wants to contribute to the game in a different role by helping young players grow and avoid the mistakes he made during his playing days. "I think it was more of an emotional decision. One thought process was that I could contribute to the game in a different way by helping youngsters climb the ladder and avoid the mistakes I made while moving up the ranks. Another factor was age, and whether I would be able to make a comeback to the Indian team," he said as quoted by IANS.
Gowtham last played competitive cricket in September 2024. Since then, he has been associated with the sport as a cricket expert with Star Sports. He has now formally ended his playing career.
Gowtham represented India in one one day international. He enjoyed major success with Karnataka in domestic cricket across formats. He was known for his powerful hitting and effective off spin bowling and earned a strong reputation at the domestic level before making his mark in the Indian Premier League.
He made his Ranji Trophy debut for Karnataka against Uttar Pradesh on November 17, 2012. The 2016 17 Ranji Trophy season proved to be a major turning point. He took 27 wickets in eight matches and became a key member of the Karnataka bowling attack. In the 2017 18 season, he scored his maiden first class century against Assam in Mysuru.
Gowtham played 59 first class matches and 68 List A matches for Karnataka. He took more than 320 wickets across these formats and also added valuable runs in the lower order. In T20 cricket, he played 92 matches and took 74 wickets at an economy rate of 7.18.
In the IPL, Gowtham represented Chennai Super Kings, Mumbai Indians, Punjab Kings and Lucknow Super Giants. He played 36 matches in the league, scoring 247 runs and taking 21 wickets.
