One of the biggest decisions in the life of a cricketer is retirement. A player takes years building a career, facing pressure, injuries, expectations, and moments of success and failure. So, when a player announces his retirement, it usually comes after long thought and emotional weight. But in modern cricket, retirement took a whole new turn. Many players announced their retirement and then took it back. Some did it because of team needs, some due to personal reasons, and some because they felt that they still had more cricket left in them. It might seem like a trend today, but it has been happening since the late 20th century too. Many great players who retired came back to the field and created magic once again. Following are ten well-known cricketers who reversed their retirements and came back into international cricket: Top 10 Cricketers Who Reversed Their Retirement and Made a Comeback Javagal Srinath Image Source: Neil Lane Javagal Srinath had planned to retire from international cricket after India toured the West Indies in 2002. He had even shared that he was ready to stop playing. But India needed him. The then captain Sourav Ganguly personally asked him to return because the 2003 World Cup was coming, and India needed their most trusted fast bowler. Ganguly managed to persuade him to put off his retirement. He agreed and after three more Test matches, he played the 2003 World Cup in South Africa. His experience was one of the reasons for India's journey to the final, where they became runners-up. Srinath's return proved how important he was for India's bowling attack. Also Read | Every First-Over Wicket by Mitchell Starc in Test Cricket Bhanuka Rajapaksa Image Source: ICC/Getty Images Back in 2022, Sri Lankan batter Bhanuka Rajapaksa sent a shockwave when he announced his retirement from international cricket at the age of 30. He did so for family reasons, he claimed. Very confusing to many fans because he was still young and an important white-ball player. But Sri Lanka's Sports Minister Namal Rajapaksa did not support this quick retirement. Later, after meeting him and talking with the selectors, Bhanuka decided to reverse his decision. He said afterwards that he wanted to represent Sri Lanka again. His comeback did strengthen Sri Lanka's limited-overs batting. Tamim Iqbal Image Source: ESPNcricinfo Ltd It was a big jolt to Bangladesh cricket when their senior opener, Tamim Iqbal, announced his retirement in 2023, just three months before the ODI World Cup. Teary-eyed, he made the announcement after Bangladesh lost a series to Afghanistan. Many fans and former players felt the decision was taken in emotion. The unexpected happened afterwards. The Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, intervened and spoke with Tamim. After the meeting, Tamim changed his mind about retirement from cricket. He withdrew his retirement, but even after taking back that decision, he has not played a single match for Bangladesh. His return is still a debated topic in the country. Imran Khan Image Source: Getty Images Imran Khan is one of the most famous examples of retirement reversal. He retired in 1987 after Pakistan lost to Australia in the semi-final of the World Cup. However, the fans and the Pakistan Cricket Board insisted on his return to lead the team during the 1992 World Cup. Imran listened to the public demand and returned to the field. He was made captain again. What followed became history. Imran led Pakistan to their first World Cup title in 1992. They beat England in the final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. His return is still one of the greatest comeback stories in cricket. Also Read | Youngest Players to Score a Century in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy Shahid Afridi Image Source: IDI/Getty Images Shahid Afridi has one of the most peculiar retirement journeys. He announced retirements many a time in his career. First, he retired from Tests in 2006, then from ODIs in 2011, from T20Is in 2017, and so on. The dates of his retirements are 2006, 2010, 2011, 2014, before he finally stopped playing in 2017. With the bat, Afridi was a big hitter, but he was also quite useful as a leg-spinner. Still, news of his frequent retirements and comebacks drew more attention than his actual performances. Fans never knew whether Afridi was actually retired or coming back once again. Javed Miandad Image Source: Getty Images Javed Miandad retired in 1993 after a long and successful career. But Pakistan needed experience in the middle order during the 1996 World Cup. Even though he was almost 39, Miandad returned. He ended up playing six ODIs in that comeback, including the matches in the 1996 World Cup. This made him one of the very few players to appear in six World Cups, which was a record at that time. His return added calmness and guidance to Pakistan's young team during the tournament. Kevin Pietersen Image Source: Getty Images England star Kevin Pietersen retired from limited-overs cricket early in 2011, citing a desire to focus on Tests. But England were in transition phase in white-ball cricket and needed him for ODIs and T20Is. Later the same year, Pietersen returned to both formats. He was again part of England's white-ball plans. His comeback didn't last very long since he got dropped in 2014 and never represented England again. Still, his quick retirement and return showed how important he was to the team. Also Read | Top 10 Players with Most Man of the Match Awards in ODI Cricket Brendan Taylor Image Source: Zimbabwe Cricket Brendan Taylor of Zimbabwe retired from international cricket in 2015 to sign a Kolpak deal with Nottinghamshire in England, before returning to Zimbabwe cricket two years later in 2017. He played all formats once again and went on to become the backbone of Zimbabwe's middle order until 2021. The ICC banned him for a period of three-and-a-half years in 2022 for delaying the reporting of a corrupt approach. His suspension will end on 25 July 2025. Taylor has revealed his desire to return to international cricket again once he becomes eligible. Mohammad Amir Image Source: ICC/Getty Images Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Amir called it a day in 2020 citing conflict with the team management as a reason, which did not allow him to continue. Many experts were surprised because he was still an important part of Pakistan's T20 setup. He returned in March 2024 and played some T20Is ahead of the T20 World Cup 2024. His pace and swing helped Pakistan strengthen their bowling attack. Still a controversial figure due to his ban in the past, his return was looked upon as a tactical boost for the team. Quinton de Kock Image Source: Associated Press The cricketing world was once again shocked as Quinton de Kock reversed his retirement from ODIs. He had retired from ODIs following the 2023 Cricket World Cup and later from all formats following the 2024 T20 World Cup. But the South African team confirmed that de Kock was returning for the white-ball tour of Pakistan, and quite astonishingly so, given there were no signs from his end to indicate a desire to return all this while. Since his comeback to international cricket, the Proteas southpaw has scored two fifties and two centuries in ODIs, justifying his retirement reversal. Why Retirement Reversals Are Becoming Common Cricket is changing fast. The reasons players retire and then return are many: Team needs: At times, a team would ask a senior player to come back because of their experience. Personal reasons: Retire for family, mental health, or contract issues; return when things settle. T20 leagues: Several players juggle leagues and international cricket, making swift decisions that often change. Public pressure: Fans and boards at times compel players to return. Coming back from retirement is no easy task, as it requires fitness, form, and confidence. But usually, with big players returning comes leadership and stability.