India's Ganguly calls time on glittering career

India's record-breaking former cricket captain Sourav Ganguly is finally calling time on his career after deciding not to play in next year's IPL competition.

The 40-year-old Ganguly, who quit international cricket four years ago, has been playing in the Twenty20 Indian Premier League tournament since its inception - most recently captaining the Pune Warriors, based in western India.

But he told Monday's Times of India newspaper that his body could no longer take the strain even though he was contracted to play in the IPL next spring.

"I had a wonderful time playing in the IPL for five seasons. It gave me a chance to keep playing top-class cricket even after quitting international cricket. But I can't go on forever, and I have requested the franchise owners not to consider me for IPL 6," he told the paper.

"Twenty20 is a very demanding format. I will be almost 41 by the time IPL 6 ends. It would have been very tough for the body," he added.

The left-handed Ganguly is the most successful captain in the history of the Indian national side, overseeing 21 wins in 49 Tests.

He scored 7,212 runs in 113 Tests and 11,363 runs in 311 one-day internationals in a career spanning more than a decade.

In an interview last month, Ganguly pushed himself forward to become the next coach of the national side, telling cricket chiefs they should turn to a homegrown candidate after the incumbent Duncan Fletcher calls it quits.

Ganguly was part of a famed Indian middle order that also included Sachin Tendulkar, Venkatsai Laxman and Rahul Dravid. Tendulkar is the only one still playing international cricket and he has also spoken recently of his looming retirement.