Paul Valthaty, who overcame partial loss of vision to hit an IPL hundred, retires

Former Kings XI Punjab and Mumbai batsman Paul Valthaty has announced his retirement from first class cricket. The batsman came in limelight in 2011 when he smashed 120 for the Punjab francaise against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) during IPL’s fourth season.
The 39-year old Valthaty informed about his retirement to Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) on Monday.
“I was extremely lucky and proud to have represented many teams in my career from India Blue in the Challenger trophy,India U-19 and the Mumbai Senior team and all age group teams. I would take this opportunity to thank The BCCI and MCA who have always been supportive to me and many such cricketers like me.
“I would also like to thank the IPL and both my teams Rajasthan Royals and Punjab Kings who I had the good fortune of representing and was the first player from Mumbai and the 4th Indian to score a century in the IPL,” Valthaty wrote in his mail sent to MCA.

Valthaty had a great opening season for Punjab in IPL but his tenure in IPL ended in 2013 as IPL teams preferred younger faces in the squad. The 39 year old now wants to contribute towards the development of the game and guiding young budding cricketers.
In 2011, when Valthaty made that IPL hundred, not many knew about his partial loss of vision, that he had suffered during the 2002 under-19 World Cup in New Zealand. A short delivery from a Bangladesh new-ball bowler on a dicey wicket had hit Paul in the eye. He returned home with a bandaged eye.
“The ball bounced unexpectedly and hit me straight in the eye,” Paul had told this newspaper after his IPL hundred. “It took me at least a couple of years to adjust and get back to my best.”

Paul had then turned to Nari Contractor, who had faced similar trauma after getting hit on the head a ball during the 1962 tour to West Indies. With words of encouragement and counsel from Contractor, Valthaty bounced back.