Nilesh Kulkarni retires from cricket

Nilesh Kulkarni, who took a wicket off the very first ball he bowled in Test cricket (Sri Lanka's Marvan Atapattu in Colombo, 1997), announced his retirement from all forms of the game at the Cricket Club of India yesterday.

Looking back on his cricketing career, the lanky left-arm spinner said: "My biggest turnaround was when I was introduced to former England cricketer Frank Tyson in 1991 during the BCA (Bombay Cricket Association) Mafatlal Bowling Scheme. I was also happy to represent Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy in 1994. Then my dream finally came true when I was picked to play for India in the Test match against Sri Lanka." The scheme ushered in a new era in Mumbai cricket after eight barren seasons.