Venugopal Rao announces retirement from cricket

Hyderabad, July 31: Former India batsman and Andhra Pradesh skipper Venugopal Rao announced retirement from all forms of the game.

"Y. Venugopal Rao, former captain of Andhra Ranji team and India international, who has represented India in 16 ODIs, and 65 IPL matches announced his retirement from all the forms of cricket," the Andhra Cricket Association said in a statement.

The 37-year-old from Visakhapatnam could amass only 218 runs with a lone fifty to his name in the 11 innings he played for India after making his debut against Sri Lanka at Dambulla on July 30, 2005. He played his last ODI against West Indies at Basseterre on May 23, 2006.

Rao played 121 first-class matches scoring 7,081 runs with 17 hundreds and 30 fifties to his credit. From 2008-2014 he played for Deccan Chargers and Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL. The ACA office-bearers recollected his valuable contribution to the game.

"The President, Hon. Gen. Secretary and the members of the Andhra Cricket Association wish him all the best of luck for his future career and recollect his valuable contribution made by him for Andhra Cricket Association," it added.