India Women batter Punam Raut retires from international cricket

India top-order batter Punam Raut has announced her retirement from all forms of international cricket with immediate effect. Raut, who turned 37 on Wednesday, played four Tests, 73 ODIs and 35 T20Is for India from 2009 to 2021.

“After much thought and reflection, I have decided to retire from international cricket in all formats of the game,” Raut said in a post on Instagram.

“Representing India has been the greatest honour of my life. Cricket has been more than just a sport – it has shaped my character, taught me resilience, and given me memories that I will cherish forever. Every time I wore the India jersey, I did so with immense pride and gratitude. Wearing the India jersey was a dream that became a reality, and I will always be grateful for the trust and support I received.”

Raut was most prolific in ODIs where she scored three centuries and 15 half-centuries to score 2299 runs and average 34.83. She was part of three ODI World Cups – 2009, 2013 and 2017 – which included a century against Australia in a league game in 2017 before she was India’s top-scorer with her 86 in the final against England in the same edition.

“The 2017 ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup will always remain one of the defining moments of my career. Although we felt just short of the trophy, that tournament transformed women’s cricket in India, inspired a generation of young girls, and changed the future of our game,” Raut wrote.

One of the top records Raut was involved in was the record opening stand of 320 she and Deepti Sharma put on against Ireland in an ODI in Potchefstroom in 2017. Raut had retired hurt in that game on 109 off 116 balls while Deepti scored 188 off 160.

She started her Test career with a duck but smashed a century (130) in only her third Test, against South Africa in Mysore in 2014.

Her T20I career saw her score 719 with four half-centuries to average 27.65 and strike at 92.17. She played four editions of the T20 World Cup – 2009, 2010, 2012 and 2014 – which saw a match-winning knock of 54* against Pakistan (2009) and a 56 off 52 against West Indies in 2014.

Raut also credited her domestic team for shaping her career.

“My sincere thanks to the Mumbai Cricket Association for believing in me during my formative years,” she said. “The opportunities and guidance I received there laid the foundation of my cricketing journey.”

Her last game for India was a drawn Test against Australia in Carrara in 2021, and finished with scores of 36 and 41*.

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