Sheldon Jackson, a prolific Saurashtra batsman, retired from professional cricket on Tuesday (February 11, 2025), following a 15-year career that ended in a defeat to Gujarat in the Ranji Trophy quarterfinals in New Delhi.
Following his team’s failure to go to the Ranji Trophy 2024–25 semifinals, veteran Saurashtra batsman Sheldon Jackson announced his retirement from professional cricket. After Saurashtra lost to Gujarat by an innings and 98 runs in the first-class championship quarterfinal at the Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot on Tuesday, February 11, Jackson took the choice.
When Jackson received scores of 14 and 27, his performances weren’t the finest. The 38-year-old retired with 7283 runs at an average of 45.80 from 106 games, including 39 half-centuries and 21 hundreds. Jackson’s career lasted more than 14 years after he made his debut against Raiways in 2011. Jackson originally gained notoriety after former Bengal cricketer Joydeep Mukherjee recognized him. He also played for the Indian Premier League’s (IPL) Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).He played a key part in Saurashtra’s historic first-ever final qualifying in the 2012–13 Ranji season, scoring four fifties and three hundreds, including consecutive hundreds against Karnataka and Punjab in the quarterfinal and semi-final.
Jackson announced his retirement from limited overs earlier this year. When Saurashtra was competing in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, he made the decision to stop playing white-ball cricket. Jackson began thinking about retiring after he was unable to participate in any Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy matches for his home team.”Even before the tournament, it had been on the back of my mind, and I continued to play each game as it came up. However, I notified the squad before the Punjab match, but they wanted me to leave the field. They made a very kind offer, and I’m very appreciative of it,” Jackson told ESPNcricinfo.
With 10 hundreds and 25 fifties, Jackson has amassed 2792 and 1812 runs, respectively, in 86 List A games and 84 T20 matches.
