Here are a few big names who have retired in 2024

James Anderson

Hailed as the greatest fast bowlers in Test cricket by many, Jimmy Anderson walked off the field for one last time after the first Test between England and West Indies at Lord’s. He ended his career with 991 international wickets, 704 of those coming in Tests. He had proved himself to be one of the greatest, after he went past Glenn McGrath’s tally of 563 Test wickets in 2018. He crossed the 700-wicket mark in March this year, becoming the first pacer to reach that feat.

James Anderson leads out England ahead of his final Test match for England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🙌 pic.twitter.com/TOtTQnpb9l

— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) July 10, 2024

Ravichandran Ashwin

India’s veteran spinner, and match-winner for over a decade, Ravichandran Ashwin stunningly declared in the middle of the ongoing Border Gavaskar Trophy that he would be retiring from international cricket. The Indian stalwart produced magical deliveries time and time again, often deceiving the batsman with his trademark carrom ball.

He bid farewell to the game as the second highest wicket taker for India across formats, with 765 international wickets to his name with 537 of those coming in Test cricket. He has also recorded the most Player of the Series awards (11) in Tests.

#Ashwin has announced his retirement from all forms of international cricket!

With 765 wickets across formats, he bows out as one of the greatest spinners of all time. Go well, @ashwinravi99 ! 🙌 pic.twitter.com/alfjOj4IDm

— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) December 18, 2024

Tim Southee

After playing for 17 years across all three formats, New Zealand fast bowler Tim Southee confirmed that his match against England in Hamilton was not only his last Test match, but his last international match. After picking two wickets in what would be his last international, Southee finished his career at a high of 776 international wickets.

The Kiwi also holds the record for being the fourth on the list of most sixes hit in Test cricket, and third most runs without scoring a century in Tests. With 391 wickets in Test cricket, he also sits at number two in New Zealand history of most wickets, second to Richard Hadlee. Southee also holds the distinction of being the first paceman to make 100 appearances in all three formats.

“17 years of memories” – Tim Southee reflects on his career during his final press conference in Hamilton #NZvENG pic.twitter.com/vwaAg1IAc2

— BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) December 17, 2024

Shikhar Dhawan

A man who is always smiling on the ground and carrying a positive attitude regardless of the team’s situation, called for his retirement in all formats of the game. Shikhar Dhawan, who is often called “Gabbar” by the Indian fans, has always stepped up in crucial moments and especially in ICC events. He was the leading run scorer of the Champions Trophy in 2013-the year India won the title-and in the Champions trophy 2017 when India reached the finals.

He has contributed immensely to the runs put up by the famous top three of international cricket alongside Rohit and Kohli, with 10,867 international runs. He has 24 international centuries to his name, with 17 coming in ODIs.

As I close this chapter of my cricketing journey, I carry with me countless memories and gratitude. Thank you for the love and support! Jai Hind! 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/QKxRH55Lgx

— Shikhar Dhawan (@SDhawan25) August 24, 2024

David Warner

Loved not only by fans back home, but also the majority of the Indian cricketing fan base as well, David Warner’s retirement from international cricket started the domino effect of retirements this year. He was the first to announce his retirement in January, and walked off the field one last time in Test cricket after the match in Sydney against Pakistan. The left-handed opener had also signalled that the T20 World Cup would be the last international outing.

His international career ended after he got out in the first over against India, as that would be Australia’s last match at the World Cup. He leaves the game with an illustrious career behind him, and an aggressive impression of himself. Warne was an all-format package, scoring 8786 in Tests, 6932 in ODIs and 3277 in T20Is. He will continue to play franchise cricket thoug, and has also kept his availability open for the Champions Trophy 2025.

At the ground where he scored 912 Test runs, and made his T20I debut all those years, David Warner bids farewell to the MCG for one final time #AUSvPAK pic.twitter.com/0XQ6O74meH

— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 28, 2023

There were a lot of other players that drew the curtains on their careers this year. Here is the list of players that announced their retirement this year: