Picture Credit: Twitter
Indian women's Test and ODI skipper Mithali Raj announced her retirement from all forms of cricket on Tuesday. The 39-year-old cricketer took to social media to issue a statement and informed that she would no longer play the sport but confirmed that she will stay involved in the game and will contribute to the growth of Women's cricket in India and the world.
Several former and current cricketers expressed their gratitude towards the legendary cricketer for her years of service and wished her well in her new innings. Mithali's long-time teammate and another legend of the game, Jhulan Goswami got emotional after Raj announced her decision.
Jhulan Goswami took to Twitter to thank her captain and also recalled how they met when they started playing U-19 cricket and together overcame all the odds. "We overcame odds, both in life and on the cricket field, ever since we started playing U19 cricket. Your affection and support as a colleague and captain always inspired and pushed me towards achieving greater heights. You were outstanding both on and off the field," she wrote on Twitter.
Earlier, Raj shared that representing the country for several years was the highest honour for her. "The journey was full of highs and 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. Today is the day I retire from all forms of international cricket," Mithali said in a statement.
In her 23-year-long illustrious career, Raj amassed 7805 runs from 232 ODIs, the maximum by any women's cricketer. Raj has amassed 10,868 runs including all the formats. Mithali Raj has won numerous national awards, including the Arjuna Award (2003), Padma Shri (2015), and Major Dhyanchand Khel Ratna (2021).