MITHALI COULD RETIRE FROM T20 CRICKET AFTER ENGLAND SERIES

NEWDELHI: India women’s cricket team’s senior-most player Mithali Raj in all likelihood will bring down curtains on her T20 International career after the home series against England while continuing in the 50-over format where she is still captain of the side.

While India’s three-match T20 series against New Zealand starts in Wellington on Wednesday, it is not clear whether Mithali will be a part of the XI.

Even if she is picked, it has been learnt that the 36-year-old will not continue beyond the three-match T20 series against England, starting March 4 in Assam’s Barsapara.

“Mithali understands that skipper Harmanpreet Kaur will like to concentrate on building a team for the 2020 World T20 and that she is unlikely to feature in that tournament,” said a senior BCCI official.

“But a player of her stature should get a warm send-off and that is likely to be against England,” the official said.

There are indications that Mithali may not be selected in all the matches against the ‘White Ferns’ and she has been made aware by a senior member of the team management.

It is understood that Mithali can read the writing on the wall and the board will give her chance to retire on her own terms from the shortest format.

“It is still not sure whether she would like to play the full series against England or like former pacer Ashish Nehra, play the first game of the series and retire,” he added.

Mithali’s place in the T20 side has been under scanner due to her slow strike-rate and waning fielding abilities which led to her being dropped for the Women’s WT20 semis against England.