Varun Chopra: Essex's former Warwickshire captain retires from cricket at 34
- Published
Varun Chopra made three appearances for the Essex Eagles side that won the T20 Blast for the first time in 2019
Essex batter Varun Chopra has announced his retirement, ending a 15-year career in county cricket.
The 34-year-old former England Lions opener had two spells with Essex.
His best days were with Warwickshire, where he won the County Championship in 2012, then became captain in 2015.
After returning to Essex in 2016, initially on loan, Chopra's Essex first-team appearances became limited following Alastair Cook's retirement from Test cricket in 2018.
He played limited parts in the county's T20 Blast and County Championship triumphs in 2019 and Bob Willis Trophy success the following year.
Varun Chopra's only first-team cricket in 2021 was three one-day games and one T20 on loan with Middlesex
Chopra went on loan to play white-ball cricket for Middlesex earlier this season.
Essex executive chairman John Faragher said: , external"I would like to thank Varun for his contribution to Essex during his two terms at the club.
"He will always be a welcome visitor at Chelmsford. We look forward to seeing him whenever his time permits."
Chopra's good times at Edgbaston
Essex academy graduate Chopra totalled 17,995 runs in his career in 425 appearances across all formats, of which the majority - 10, 243 at 34.48 - were in first-class cricket.
After moving from Essex to Warwickshire in 2010, he made 6,216 first-class runs for the Bears at 38.13, passing 1,000 first-class runs for the season in 2011, 2012 and 2013.
Varun Chopra lifted the trophy in Birmingham when the Bears beat Lancashire to win the T20 Blast for the first time in 2014
He led Birmingham Bears to the T20 Blast title in 2014 and again to Finals Day in 2015.
But he lost the Bears captaincy following Ian Bell's return to Edgbaston after his England career came to an end in late 2015.
After returning on loan to Chelmsford in 2016, he helped Essex win the Division Two title before enjoying a second Championship triumph when Essex won their first title in 25 years in 2017.