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New Delhi. South Africa's legendary cricketer and former captain Dean Elgar has announced his retirement from professional cricket. Elgar, who has been known for his combative batting on the cricket field for nearly one and a half decade, will bid farewell to all forms of cricket after the end of the 2026 County Championship season. This 39-year-old experienced batsman has said that the reason behind his decision is to give priority to the family. He believes that now is the right time to end the long journey of cricket and move towards the next chapter of life. Elgar's contribution to Test cricket for South Africa will long be remembered in the cricketing heritage there.

Dean Elgar was recognized as a Test batsman who fought bravely in difficult situations. He played 86 Test matches for South Africa and scored 5347 runs at an average of 35.92. During this period, 14 centuries and 23 half-centuries came from his bat. His best score was 199 runs which he made against Bangladesh in 2017. Elgar's batting showed more patience and ability to play long innings than aggression. He was known for batting for hours in front of the new ball and tiring the opposition bowlers. This is the reason why he was counted among South Africa's most reliable Test openers.

Apart from Test cricket, Elgar also played 8 ODI matches for South Africa in which he scored 104 runs. He made his international debut in 2012 and remained an important member of the South African Test team for nearly 12 years. He retired from international cricket in early 2024. The Test played against India in Cape Town became his last international match. In this match, he also had to captain South Africa in the absence of injured Temba Bavuma. Coincidentally, he also made his farewell test memorable. Elgar played a brilliant inning of 185 runs and took South Africa to a strong position in the match. The host team won that match by an innings and managed to level the series 1-1.

Even after his departure from international cricket, Elgar's bat did not stop. He chose county cricket as his second innings in England. Seeing the limited schedule of Test cricket, he moved to Essex where he got a big responsibility. He had come to fill the place of veteran Alastair Cook in the team. Since joining Essex in 2024, Elgar has performed brilliantly and proved his worth by scoring more than 1000 runs in the County Championship. He was also named the club's Batter of the Year. He also scored more than 300 runs in T20 Blast. Earlier, he had also played county cricket for Somerset and Surrey.

Now the 2026 season will be the last chapter of his professional cricket career. With a desire to spend more time with his family, Elgar has decided to retire from the field. His career will be remembered not just by the statistics but also by the spirit with which he faced difficult situations in Test cricket. Elgar, who has given South Africa a reliable opener and experienced leadership, will soon say goodbye to cricket. His final season will be an opportunity to bid an emotional farewell to his illustrious and struggling cricket journey.