Punam Raut Retires After 112 Caps And 3,282 India Runs

Punam Raut retires from international cricket after 112 matches and 3,282 runs for India. The former opener announced it on Instagram on Thursday. Her career ran from March 2009 to 2021. It covered four Tests, 73 one day internationals and 35 T20 internationals. She was in the India squad that reached the 2017 Women’s World Cup final. England won that match by nine runs.

RevSportz reported that her first cap came against the West Indies in Sydney on 19 March 2009. The end came in Australia. The Press Trust of India described her last Test, at Carrara. She edged behind and walked. The on field umpire had given her not out.

Twelve years and 112 caps

The one day record carries the bulk of her work. Raut averaged 34.83 across 73 matches. Three hundreds, 15 fifties. Her Test return was short and productive. Four matches, 264 runs, one century. The T20 international career was the thinnest of the three.

• Tests: 4 matches, 264 runs, average 44.00, one century, highest score 130
• One day internationals: 73 matches, 2,299 runs, average 34.83, three centuries, 15 fifties
• T20 internationals: 35 matches, 719 runs, four fifties, highest score 75
• All formats: 112 matches, 3,282 runs, four wickets

Potchefstroom, May 2017

Raut and Deepti Sharma put on 320 for the first wicket against Ireland at Potchefstroom. The date was 15 May 2017. Deepti made 188 off 167 balls. Raut made 109. India posted 358. It stood as the highest opening partnership in one day international cricket. Scroll.in reported at the time that the stand passed the men’s first wicket record of 286, set by Sanath Jayasuriya and Upul Tharanga against England in 2006.

Two months later she was at the World Cup in England. RevSportz put her tournament return at 381 runs in nine innings. One century, two fifties. That was the fifth highest aggregate of the competition.

Four Tests and one hundred

Her Test career fitted into four matches across seven years. She debuted against England at Wormsley in August 2014. Three months later came 130 against South Africa at Mysore. The Press Trust of India put that innings at 355 balls with 18 fours. It remains her only century in the format.

Mumbai, Railways, Uttarakhand

The domestic route behind those caps ran through four teams. She played for Mumbai from 2006-07. Railways followed in 2011-12 and kept her until 2021-22. Then Uttarakhand. She also turned out for Trailblazers between 2018 and 2020. Railways she called her second family.

A note for Mithali Raj

Her statement singled out her former captain. "A special thank you to Mithali Raj," she wrote. "It was a privilege to play under your captaincy for both India and Railways. Your leadership and commitment to the game have been a constant source of inspiration."

The farewell note ran long. "After much thought and reflection, I have decided to retire from international cricket in all formats of the game," she wrote. "Representing India has been the greatest honour of my life." Her sign off: "The player in me may step aside, but the love for this game will never retire."