Former national cricket team captain Paras Khadka on Tuesday morning announced his retirement from international cricket after playing nearly two decades for the senior national team.

“With utmost clarity, respect and gratitude, I have now decided to retire myself from playing international cricket,” the 34-year-old cricketer wrote on Twitter. “This amazing journey on a cricket field as an international cricketer ends here but the cricket dreams for my country have just started.”

Khadka, an allrounder, played an influential role in Team Nepal’s elevation from Division 5 in 2010 to One-Day International (ODI) nation in 2018 and led the golden generation of Nepali cricket.

“Playing for Nepal has been my biggest achievement and for that I will always be indebted towards my coaches, players, fans, stakeholders and family for their continuous support over the last 18 years since I started as a young 15 years old back in 2002,” wrote Khadka who marked his debut for the senior national side in 2004 playing against Malaysia in the Intercontinental Cup.

The middle-order batsman who also bowled medium pace enjoyed an illustrious career ever since he made his foray into cricket. Khadka represented the country in the Under-19 World Cup in 2004, 2006 and 2008 while also being part of the senior side. He led the senior national team for a decade starting 2009 before stepping down in October 2019.

He is the first Nepali cricketer to score a Twenty20 International century (106 not out) against Singapore in 2019 and ODI hundred (115 runs) against UAE in the same year. The T20I century was also a world record, as he became the first captain ever to score a century while chasing in a T20I.

“My ultimate dream is to see Nepal have a better cricketing system for which I have spent all my energy in the last two decades and to improve it will require equal support from everyone in the cricketing community and beyond. I believe with everyone’s honest effort and intentions, we will be able to do so,” said Khadka.