Khurasiya quits first-class cricket

Khurasiya had mixed fortunes against Sri Lanka in his short international career © AFP Enlarge

Amay Khurasiya, the left-hand middle-order batsman who played 12 ODIs for India, announced his retirement from first-class cricket on Sunday. Dropped from the Madhya Pradesh team for the Ranji Trophy during the recent domestic season, he said that he would continue coaching, having qualified as a Level 3 coach.

Announcing his decision at a press conference in Indore, Khurasiya said he was disappointed at not being able to contribute enough for Madhya Pradesh. He made his ODI debut against Sri Lanka in Pune in 1999 and made an immediate impact, lofting his second ball for a boundary. He went on to score a quick-fire 57 off 45 balls and was included in the squad for the World Cup in England.

Unfortunately, he failed to get a game in the World Cup and he couldn't cash in on the opportunities which came his way. He ended his ODI career in a disappointing note, scoring 149 runs at an average of 13.54. Khurasiya admitted his failures at the international level but also felt aggrieved that he wasn't given an extended run during his peak, a view which was shared by Sanjay Jagdale, the national selector, who was also present.

An aggressive batsman, Khurasiya served Madhya Pradesh right through the 90's, scoring 7304 runs in 119 first-class games with a personal best of 238. He aggregated over 500 runs in a season on a few occasions, scoring 584 runs off 11 innings in 1990-91 and following it up immediately with 548 runs in 10 innings. In 2000-01, he amassed 711 runs.