India women's cricketer Mithali Raj announced her retirement from T20 international cricket on Tuesday. In a statement issued on BCCI's official website, Mithali said she took the decision to retire from the shortest format of the game to focus on the 2021 fifty-over World Cup.
The former Indian T20I captain represented the country in 89 T20Is, scoring 2394 runs at an average of 37.52. She captained the side in 32 T20Is, including three World Twenty20s in 2012 (Sri Lanka), 2014 (Bangladesh) and 2016 (India).
She also captained India in its first-ever T20I in 2006 against England.
"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," Mithali Raj said in her statement, issued by the BCCI.
"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."
Her last T20I appearance came in March earlier this year against England.
