Karnataka pacer Abhimanyu Mithun retires, to shift to England

BENGALURU: A wily Karnataka youngster with raw pace and fiery bounce made a telling impact on his Ranji Trophy debut against Uttar Pradesh in the winter of 2009. In the league contest held in Meerut, Abhimanyu Mithun, under the captaincy of Rahul Dravid, announced his arrival with a hat-trick and a match haul of 11 wickets.
For more than a decade after his memorable debut, the 31-year-old played for Karnataka with passion and purpose, figuring in 103 first-class matches and picking up 338 wickets.Along the way, he played a key role in the domestic giants' national trophy wins in all three formats with two back-to-back Ranji Trophy victories being the highlight.
On Thursday, the pacer with a penchant for pinch-hitting, announced his retirement from duties for the state.
The moment also heralds a new beginning for the lanky pacer, who is shifting to England, where he is finalising a contract with a county team. He is also looking to expand his horizon by making himself available as a professional cricketer for leagues across the world.
“I have been contemplating this for about five months. I’m 31 and I believe I do have a few more years of cricket in me. I wanted to explore opportunities beyond domestic cricket in India because I’ve reached a saturation point here. I could have played the upcoming season, but that would mean blocking a youngster from coming into the team. In the current scenario, I thought it was best for me to retire,” Mithun told TOI.
With the retirement of Mithun, the curtain has come down on a glorious decade of Karnataka’s pace attack. The trio of R Vinay Kumar, Sreenath Arvind and Mithun was the most feared pace attack on the domestic circuit. With the other two having already retired, it also signals a new beginning for Karnataka's fast bowling combination.
Asked to pick his favourite moment on the field, Mithun said, “Given the team’s performance over the last 10 years, it is difficult to choose one moment as the special one. Each of the trophies is special, so was the time spent in the dressing room with some of the best cricketers.”
Mithun pointed out that the hat-trick on debut changed him as a player and gave wings to his dreams. “The hat-trick changed my life. Before that, I didn’t think I would play for the country, so it gave me confidence and instilled self-belief.”
Riding on a fine 2009-2010 season in which he picked up 47 Ranji Trophy wickets, Mithun made his ODI debut against South Africa in February 2010 in Ahmedabad before he was handed the Test cap against Sri Lanka in Galle in July 2010. He featured in four Tests and five ODIs.
While Mithun regrets that he didn’t have a long run with the Indian team, what hurts him more are the close matches Karnataka lost over the years.
Acknowledging Mithun’s contribution, KSCA secretary Santosh Menon said, “Abhimanyu Mithun has served Karnataka cricket with distinction. His contribution to the success of the state team is immense and will always be remembered. We respect his decision and wish him well.”