Krishnappa Gowtham calls time on career, bows out as a cricketer

Bengaluru: Krishnappa Gowtham, one of Karnataka’s grittiest cricketers over the last decade who had the hard-nosed ability to find an extra gear whenever the chips were down, called time on his career that’ll best be remembered for his sensational comeback from the wilderness in the 2016-17 season.

Out of the State side since the last season as the selectors chose to look at the future, the writing was on the wall for the 37-year-old off-spinning all-rounder who even refused offers from other State sides because he wanted his journey to end with Karnataka. With the State doors shut, Gowtham, who has been doing Kannada commentary since last year, decided to make the retirement decision formal on Monday at the very venue that gave wings to his cricketing dreams – the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.

“I would like to let you know that I have decided to retire from first-class and international cricket,” Gowtham said at a press conference attended by his wife Archana and daughter Nithara .

“It has been a matter of immense pride representing Karnataka and India.

“I have been a man of comebacks, returning from the brink on more than one occasion and I could have done so again. However, had I worked my way back into the Karnataka team, it would have been unfair to the youngsters who are the future of the team. While I had the option of going to another state, I never seriously considered it. I began my journey as a Karnataka cricketer and want to end it that way.”

Having made an impression since his early teenage years, Gowtham, who hails from Dooravani Nagar and studied in Vidya Mandir school in that locality like current KSCA president and former India pacer Venkatesh Prasad, got his first break when he was picked for the State senior side in the 2012-13 Ranji Trophy season.

Things didn’t take off as expected in a talent-loaded team as Gowtham managed only 3 caps where he picked up 9 wickets. Then, for little fault of his, the then 24-year-old was banished from the State team, something that rankled him a lot. But the axing also forced him to reinvent and rediscover himself. Apart from sharpening his off-spin skills, he also worked a lot on his batting, turning himself into an all-rounder.

All that sweat, blood and toil bore fruit again as he was handed a recall in the 2016-17 season. It was the opportunity the steely yet temperamental Gowtham was waiting for, making a smashing return to even earn the moniker “Bhajji” from his state-mates – a comparison to India off-spinning great Harbhajan Singh.

In the first three matches itself he bagged 18 wickets, instantly establishing himself as one of the key players across formats.

That Ranji Trophy season he bagged 27 wickets before taking a 39 next season.

He went on to earn big bucks in the IPL auctions too, first taking home Rs 6.2 crore by Rajasthan Royals in 2018 and then creating history in February 2021 when Chennai Super Kings splurged a whopping Rs 9.25 crore on him, then making him the most expensive uncapped player in the history of IPL. He also realised his India dream when he played his one and only international game – a one-dayer against Sri Lanka in Colombo in July 2021.

Gowtham was ignored after the 2022-23 season despite a decent haul of 39 wickets in 11 games.

The explanation given by the then selection committee was it was time to look into the future as the State underwent a massive transition.

The decision would have hurt Gowtham, but he still believed there could be a way back which was not to be. Comebacks after 35 are rare, but as he said in retirement speech, he can walk with ‘no regrets’ after leaving it all out in the field.