Indian legend Mithali Raj announced her retirement from all forms of international cricket on Wednesday, bring an end to a storied 23-year-long international career that began with her debut in 1999.

In a statement released on her social media, she wrote, “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.”

Mithali Raj retires from international cricket: ‘Like all journeys, this one too must come to an end

“Cricket is a dream and when I started off my career I had no idea that women’s cricket existed but the only name ever told or heard was yours Mithali Di,” said Harmanpreet Kaur in a tweet.

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Raj scored 7805 runs in 211 ODI innings, 2364 runs in 84 T20I innings, and 699 runs in 19 Test innings in a decorated career spanning 23 years. She is considered one of the finest batters of all time, particularly in the One-Day International format, where she has dominated the batting charts. She also ends her career as the leading run-scorer in women’s international cricket with a total of 10,868 runs.

Here are some stats from her milestone-filled career:

Even if the retirement was expected once India’s World Cup campaign came to an end, the official announcement was received with plenty of emotional tributes on social media.

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Here’s a look at some of the reactions from the cricketing world:

“Women in sport are powerful catalysts of change and when they get the appreciation they deserve, it inspires change in several other women wanting to achieve their dreams,” Mithali had written in a post after receiving the Khel Ratna in 2021. “I sincerely hope that my journey inspires young girls all across the country to pursue their dreams and know that only when you dream can you make it happen.”

At the end of it all, it’d go down as her biggest legacy.

Also read: A Scroll.in article after the ICC World Cup recently: