‘I did everything I could for India’: Poonam Raut on retirement and unfinished dream
Indian cricketer Poonam Raut has announced her retirement after failing to secure a return to the national team since 2021. Despite her successful domestic performance, she is now shifting her focus toward coaching and mentoring the next generation of female cricketers.
Why it matters
Raut's career reflects the evolution of women's cricket in India and the challenges players face in maintaining long-term international careers.
Poonam Raut spent four years trying to get back into the Indian team. She scored runs in domestic cricket, recovered from illness and worked towards a comeback. But the call never came.Her last international appearance was in 2021. When Raut announced her retirement earlier this month, it was not because she had stopped wanting to play for India. It was because she had begun to realise that the return she had been working towards might not happen.“I always had the desire to return to the Indian team,” Raut tells TimesofIndia.com. “Unfortunately, that didn't happen.”Raut represented India for more than 12 years, scoring 2,299 runs in 73 ODIs.
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