Indian batting great Mithali Raj announced her retirement from T20 International cricket on Tuesday.
In a statement released by the Board of Control for Cricket in India, Raj said that she wishes to focus her energies of the 2021 One-Day International World Cup.
“After representing India in T20 internationals since 2006, I wish to retire from T20Is to focus my energies on readying myself for the 2021 One Day World Cup,” said Raj
“It remains my dream to win a World Cup for my country and I want to give it my best. I thank the BCCI for their continuous support and wish the Indian T20 team good luck as they prepare for the home series against South Africa Women.”
Raj led India in 32 T20Is including the three Women’s WT20 World Cups in 2012 (Sri Lanka), 2014 (Bangladesh) and 2016 (India).
The 36-year-old was also the captain in India women’s first-ever T20I played in Derby back in 2006. Since that win against England, Raj played another 88 games in which she scored 2,364 runs, the most by an Indian woman in T20Is. Mithali is also the first Indian to reach the landmark of 2,000 T20I runs.
With 2,364 runs at an average 37.52, including 17 fifties, Raj finishes as the most prolific T20I run-scorer in the women’s game.
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