India pacer Abhimanyu Mithun retires from all forms of cricket
Karnataka pacer Abhimanyu Mithun has decided to retire from all forms of cricket at the age of 31 on Thursday, as he informed through an Instagram. Mithun has also represented India in four Tests and five ODIs, making his debut in both formats in 2010 and played his last Test and ODI in 2011.
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International career
Abhimanyu Mithun was born on 25 October 1989. He is a former Indian cricketer who bowled right-arm fast-medium. Mithun was called up to the Indian squad for the first Test against South Africa in 2009–10. This happened just ten weeks after his debut in first-class cricket. He also played for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL.
In November 2019, Mithun became the first bowler to take a hat-trick in all three domestic formats of cricket in India. He played for Karnataka in first-class cricket. He retired from this format in October 2021.
2010
- Test Debut: July 18–22, 2010, Sri Lanka vs India at Galle. Mithun played in his first Test match against Sri Lanka. He took four wickets and batted at No. 11 in the first innings. In the second innings, he was promoted to No. 9 and scored 25 runs.
- ODI Debut: February 27, 2010, India vs South Africa at Ahmedabad. Mithun played in the third ODI of the series against South Africa. This was his first appearance in One Day Internationals.
2011
- Test Last Match: June 28 – July 02, 2011, West Indies vs India at Bridgetown. Mithun played his last Test match during the West Indies tour. He missed the first Test due to a visa issue. In the second Test at Barbados, he took 3 wickets for 84 runs.
- ODI Last Match: December 11, 2011, India vs West Indies at Chennai. Mithun played his final ODI in this match against the West Indies.
Mithun struggled with his form and didn’t get selected for the 2011 tour to England. He returned to domestic cricket, where he kept working hard to improve.
Leagues Participation
Abhimanyu Mithun took part in several leagues, with the Indian Premier League (IPL) being the most notable. Though he had good pace, his career in the IPL was limited due to a lack of variety in his bowling.
Indian Premier League
Mithun's pace impressed coach Ray Jennings during the 2009 IPL trials for Royal Challengers Bangalore. He joined the team as a home-based player and was the only player brought back in the 2011 auction. Despite his pace, Mithun struggled to become a regular player because his bowling lacked variety. He played for Royal Challengers Bangalore until 2013 but went unsold in the 2014 IPL auction.
In a match against Kolkata Knight Riders on May 12, 2013, Mithun played for Royal Challengers Bangalore and took 1 wicket for 37 runs in 4 overs.
After his IPL career, Mithun did well in the 2013-14 Ranji Trophy, where he took 41 wickets and helped Karnataka win the title.
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Year
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Team
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Notes
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2009
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Royal Challengers Bangalore
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Joined after impressive trials
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2011
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Royal Challengers Bangalore
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Bought back in the 2011 IPL auction
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2013
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Royal Challengers Bangalore
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Played until 2013, but struggled for regular spots due to bowling style
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2014
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-
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Went unsold in the 2014 IPL auction
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Domestic career
Abhimanyu Mithun had a strong career in domestic cricket, playing for Karnataka in various formats. He debuted in First-Class cricket in November 2009 against Uttar Pradesh, where he impressed by taking 11 wickets, including a hat-trick in the second innings. His pace and bounce made him a key bowler for Karnataka. In the 2009-10 Ranji Trophy, he finished as the top wicket-taker with 47 wickets, helping his team reach the finals.
Mithun started his List A career in March 2008 against Tamil Nadu and played his final List A match in February 2021. He also played in T20s, debuting in 2009 with Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL, and his last match for Karnataka was in January 2021.
He had a standout season in the 2013-14 Ranji Trophy, taking 41 wickets and leading Karnataka to a title win. Mithun also had great moments in the 2019-20 Vijay Hazare Trophy and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, where he took a hat-trick and five wickets in one over, respectively. He retired from first-class cricket in October 2021.
Other Leagues
Abhimanyu Mithun participated in several global and regional tournaments in 2023. He played for Northern Warriors in the T10 League held in Abu Dhabi. In the same year, Mithun was also a part of the New Jersey Tritons team in the US Masters T10 League. As of August 22, 2023, he had played 15 matches and taken 7 wickets in the US Masters T10 League.
Records and achievements
Abhimanyu Mithun has set several important records in his cricket career. These achievements show his skill as a bowler and his impact on his team's success in different competitions.
- 2009-10 Ranji Trophy: Took 47 wickets and became the highest wicket-taker of the tournament. Karnataka won the title that season.
- Test debut against Sri Lanka (July 2010): Recorded his best performance with figures of 4/105 in his debut match.
- Vijay Hazare Trophy Final (2019): Helped Karnataka win the trophy by playing a key role in the final.
- Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy Semifinal (2019-20): Took five wickets in one over, a rare achievement in T20 cricket.
- Karnataka's Success: Contributed to Karnataka’s victories in the 2013-14 and 2014-15 Ranji Trophy, Irani Cup, and Vijay Hazare Trophy.
- November 2019: Became the first player to take a hat-trick in all three major domestic formats in India (Ranji Trophy, Vijay Hazare Trophy, Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy).
Personal life
Abhimanyu Mithun, the Indian cricketer, keeps his personal life mostly private. However, some details have come to light about his family and career.
Family
Abhimanyu Mithun married Rayane, the daughter of actress Radhika Sarathkumar, on August 28, 2016. The wedding had many guests from cricket and politics. They have two children: a son, Tarak, born on June 7, 2018, and a daughter, Radhya, born on March 18, 2020.
Finance
In 2024, Abhimanyu Mithun’s net worth is estimated at $1 million.
House
Abhimanyu Mithun lives in Dasarahalli, close to the gym his father runs.
Scandals
In 2019, Mithun was under investigation in connection with a match-fixing case in the Karnataka Premier League (KPL). Authorities questioned him about his involvement in the previous KPL season.
In 2023, he was involved in a no-ball incident during a match in the T10 League in Abu Dhabi. A review showed he had overstepped the line by half a meter. This incident brought up comparisons with Mohammad Amir’s 2010 no-ball controversy, which led to Amir’s suspension and imprisonment.
Fans
Abhimanyu Mithun has a significant following on social media. He has 58k followers on Instagram.
