Mithali Raj announces retirement from T20Is in bid to focus on 2021 Women's ODI World Cup

India’s women’s cricket ODI captain Mithali Raj has announced retirement from T20Is. She announced her decision to quit the format on Tuesday (3 September). Her announcement comes a week after she told PTI in an interview that she was looking forward to the T20Is against South Africa in September. She had said, “I am definitely available for the T20 series next month but, at the moment, haven’t really thought about the T20 World Cup. I usually take it series by series.” [caption id=“attachment_6060301” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Mithali Raj. AFP[/caption] On Tuesday afternoon, Mithali was quoted as saying in a BCCI release that she is quitting T20Is in order to focus more on her ODI career and ready herself and team for the World Cup in 2021. She said, “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. 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.” In a T20I career that spanned 13 years, Mithali played 89 T20Is, scoring 2364 runs, the most by an Indian woman, at an average of 37.52. She had led in India’s first T20I in 2006 and went on to captain Indian in 32 matches including three T20 World Cups.