Lucknow, Aug. 23 -- Visibly emotional and fighting back tears, veteran Indian leg-spinner Karn Sharma announced his retirement from all formats of competitive cricket.

The 38-year-old made the announcement following the Kanpur Superstars' 9-wicket defeat to the Meerut Mavericks in the UP T20 League Season 4, confirming that the reverse fixture against Meerut on Tuesday, August 25, will be his final professional game, according to a press release.

Sharma reflected on the UP T20 League and the sudden finality of his long journey, saying, "It [the UP T20 League] is actually a very good initiative. For me and others, it is a good opportunity," Sharma said. "The message is that... I just want to retire. I will be playing my last game on Tues...