Former South Africa's skipper Dean Elgar to retire from cricket after India series

South Africa's former skipper and veteran batter, Dean Elger, is set to retire from his cricketing career following the conclusion of the Test series against India, which is going to be played on home turf.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) revealed on Friday, that a 36-year-old player will play his last match against 'Men in Blue.'

Dean Elgar to retire from international cricket after India series

Elgar had communicated his decision to Cricket South Africa (CSA) on Thursday, 21 December, ahead of the Test series against India. Notably, the two-match Test series, which is scheduled to kickstart from… pic.twitter.com/I2gs73pRsZ

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The ICC quoted Elger's statement, "Playing the game of cricket has always been a dream of mine but having the opportunity to represent your country is the ultimate!" 

The 36-year-old also said, "Having had the privilege to do it for 12 years internationally is simply beyond my wildest dreams. It has been an incredible journey that I have been fortunate enough to have."

Elgar added, "As they say, 'all good things come to an end', and the Indian home series will be my last, as I have made the decision to retire from our beautiful game. A game that has given me so much. 

Furthermore, he stated that the Cape Town Test would be the last match of his career. Cape Town shares a special connection with the veteran batter who scored his first century against New Zealand. 

What are Elger's accomplishments?

During his 12 years of cricketing career, Elgar scored 5,146 runs in 84 innings, and is the eighth-highest run-scorer in Test cricket of South Africa. He is 352 runs short of  Mark Boucher, who holds the seventh spot on the list. The last two Tests against Rohit's men will serve as an opportunity to move past the South African great.

The stalwart batter's decision also means that he will not play the two-match Test series against New Zealand and the away series, which will force the team management to make a few changes in the contingent. Elgar made his debut in Perth on a tour of Australia, when the Proteas men held the top position in the world.