Mithali Raj announces retirement from international cricket

Mithali Raj, on Wednesday (June 8), announced her retirement from all forms of international cricket. The right-handed batter, who made her international debut in 1999, featured in 12 Tests, 232 ODIs and 89 T20Is for India.

"I feel now is the perfect time to call curtains on my playing career as the team is in the capable hands of some very talented young players and the future of Indian Cricket is bright," she wrote on Twitter.

"Each time I stepped on the field, I gave my very best with the intent to help India win. I will always cherish the opportunity given to me to represent the tricolour. It was an honour to have led the team for so many years. It definitely shaped me as a person & hopefully helped shape Indian Women's Cricket as well.

"This journey may have ended but another one beckons as I'd love to stay involved in the game I love and contribute to the growth of Women's Cricket in India and world over."

She had retired from the T20 format in 2019 and her decision to stop playing all formats was expected after India's underwhelming ODI World Cup campaign in March. She was the captain of the team in the ICC mega event.

In ODIs, Mithali amassed 7805 runs at an average of 50.68 and is the leading run-getter in this format. She ended her career with seven centuries and 64 fifties in the 50-over format. Meanwhile, in T20Is, Mithali scored 2364 runs at 37.52. She also featured in 12 Tests, crafting 699 runs at an average of 43.68, studded with one hundred and four fifties.

Mithali started her international career as a 16-year-old and went on to play for almost 24 years. She ends her career with 10,868 runs - the most by any player in women's international cricket. She is the only Indian batter to score a double century in Test cricket, and also the only player to hit seven fifties in a row in women's ODIs. Earlier this year, Mithali became the first woman player and only the third cricketer ever to feature in six World Cups.

She is the only Indian captain - male or female - to have led India in two World Cup finals (2005 and 2017). The team's performance in 2017 had given a huge fillip to the women's game. However, a fairy tale ending eluded her five years later in New Zealand, where India made an early exit from the competition after an inconsistent campaign.

(With inputs from PTI)