Former India women's cricket team captain Mithali Raj on Tuesday announced her retirement from T20 Internationals. She said the decision to retire from T20 cricket is to help her focus on the 2021 50-over 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. It remains my dream to win a World Cup for my country and I want to give it my best,” Mithali Raj said in a statement released by the BCCI.
“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.”
Mithali Raj led India in 32 T20Is, including the three editions of the Women's WT20 in 2012 (Sri Lanka), 2014 (Bangladesh) and 2016 (India). In her T20 career spanning 89 matches, Mithali Raj has scored 2,364 runs―the most by an Indian woman in T20 cricket, and includes 17 fifties. She is also the first Indian cricketer to score 2,000 runs in the shortest format of the game.
The 36-year-old was also captain in India women's team's first T20 match in Derby in 2006. She played her last T20 International against England in 2019.
Mithali Raj has also played in 203 ODIs and scored 6,720 runs at an average of 51.29 with seven hundreds. She has also played in 10 Tests with 663 runs and one hundred.
