Indian women cricket’s most experienced campaigner, Mithali Raj announced her retirement from international cricket on Wednesday. Mithali, 39, who scored 10,868 international runs, made her retirement announcement through social media. “I set out as a little girl on the journey to wear the India blues as representing your country is the highest honour. The journey was full of highs and some lows. Each event taught me something unique and the last 23 years have been the most fulfilling, challenging & 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,” she wrote in a statement posted on Twitter.

All-rounder Harmanpreet Kaur, who is leading India’s T20 challenge, has been named captain for the upcoming Sri Lanka tour, where they will play three T20Is and as many ODIs beginning with the T20I at Dambulla on June 23. Former India women’s team coach Tushar Arothe, who guided the Mithali-led outfit to the 2017 World Cup final in England, felt the legendary cricketer should have retired during action as it were. “I thought she would play a match and then retire. But she must have had some plans,” Arothe told mid-day from Baroda.