Mithali Raj calls her time and retires from all formats of the game

Mithali Raj isn’t just a name, she’s a belief to Indian cricket fans that as long as Mithali is on crease, anything is possible. She along with Jhulan Goswami defined women’s cricket in India and that is why people all around India are emotional at this time.

Making her debut at the age of 16, Mithali took India into two World series finals. She has represented India in 13 test matches, 232 ODI’s and 89 T20 Internationals. Not just with the bat, Mithali has contributed so much with her leadership skill and if we had a bit of luck on our side, India could have lifted a World Championship before the legend hung up her boots.

Playing for 23 long years, Mithali has made a lot of records to her name and one such is to make the highest number of runs in the history of women’s cricket. She is considered to be one of the Greatest of All time to play the sport and even after her retirement, she has contributed a lot to women’s cricket in India.

“Today is the day I retire from all forms of international cricket”, wrote Mithali in her social media handle announcing her retirement. The 39-year-old added, “It was an honour to have led the team for so many years. It definitely shaped me as a person & hopefully helped shape Indian Women's Cricket as well”.

She is currently ranked 7th in the ODI rankings and that proves how efficient she still is. Thus, her retirement was nothing but a shock to all the cricket fans in India.

The legend also 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. This journey may have ended but another one beckons as I'd love to stay involved in the game I love and contribute to the growth of Women's Cricket in India and world over”.

Since her teen days, Mithali has contributed massively to Indian Cricket. The Indian cricket board has thanked her for all she has done to help India grow and it’s only a matter of time we see her in some other role helping young Indians. With the Women's Indian T20 League around the corner, we might see her in the dressing room soon!