Mithali Raj has confirmed she has played her last match for India, officially retiring from Tests and one-dayers
India legend calls time on 23-year international career
India captain Mithali Raj has called time on her 23-year international career, confirming her retirement from all forms of the game.
Raj, who made her debut in 1999, finishes as the women’s game’s leading run-scorer both in ODIs and across all three formats combined.
The 39-year-old donned the India jersey on 333 occasions, playing 12 Tests, 232 one-dayers and 89 T20Is, scoring a combined 10,868 runs.
Her 7808 ODI runs came at an average of 50.68 and included seven centuries and 71 half-centuries, while her 699 Test runs featured a top score of 214.
Mithali Raj calls time on her international career Most runs scored in Women's international cricket 10,868 - MITHALI RAJ 10,273 - Charlotte Edwards 8,425 - Suzie Bates 8,419 - Stafanie Taylor 7,815 - Meg Lanning @BCCIWomen%E2%80%94 Swamp (@sirswampthing) June 8, 2022
In the T20I format – which she last played in 2019 – Raj amassed 2364 runs at 37.52.
Raj’s retirement comes two months after her side’s premature exit from the ODI World Cup in New Zealand, where they failed to qualify for the semi-finals after going in as one of the favoured sides to make the knockout stages. The right-hander scored 68 in India's final round-robin defeat to South Africa, in what would prove her last international innings.
Thank you for all your love & support over the years! I look forward to my 2nd innings with your blessing and support. pic.twitter.com/OkPUICcU4u%E2%80%94 Mithali Raj (@M_Raj03) June 8, 2022
In a statement released on social media, the India superstar said: "I set out as a little girl on a journey to wear the India blues, as representing your country is the highest honour.
"The journey was full of highs and some lows. Each event taught me something unique and the last 23 years have been the most fulfilling, challenging and enjoyable years of my life.
"Like all journeys, this one too must come to an end.
"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."
Raj had been in charge of India’s Test and ODI sides since 2004, a period that saw her team twice reach the final of the one-day World Cup, while she was skipper of the T20I side until 2016.
Shortly after Raj's announcement, India's limited-overs squads for their upcoming tour of Sri Lanka were revealed, with current T20 captain Harmanpreet Kaur to take charge of the one-day side.
Raj is the second great of the game to retire in recent weeks, following former New Zealand captain Amy Satterthwaite's decision to exit the game after she was told she was no longer in the White Ferns' plans and would not be offered a new national contract.
India T20I squad: Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Smriti Mandhana (vc), Shafali Verma, Yastika Bhatia (wk), S Meghna, Deepti Sharma, Poonam Yadav, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Simran Bahadur, Richa Ghosh (wk), Pooja Vastrakar, Meghna Singh, Renuka Singh, Jemimah Rodrigues, Radha Yadav.
India ODI squad: Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Smriti Mandhana (vc), Shafali Verma, Yastika Bhatia (wk), S Meghna, Deepti Sharma, Poonam Yadav, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Simran Bahadur, Richa Ghosh (wk), Pooja Vastrakar, Meghna Singh, Renuka Singh, Taniya Bhatia (wk), Harleen Deol.