NEW DELHI: Gouher Sultana, India’s left-arm spinner, announced her retirement from all forms of cricket on Thursday. This ended her international and domestic career. The 37-year-old sent a heartfelt statement on Instagram thanking her fans and looking back on her long career in the sport.
“Goodbye with a smile,” she said. “After years of proudly, passionately, and purposefully wearing the Indian jersey, the time has come for me to write the most emotional note of my cricketing journey.” “I am retiring from all forms of the game with a heart full of memories and eyes full of thanks.”
Gouher started her career in the back alleys of her hometown, Hyderabad, and worked her way up to play for the national team. She played for the Indian women’s cricket team for the first time in 2008 and rapidly became an important player, especially in white-ball formats. She was a great player on the field because she could fly, spin, and hit the target.
Gouher played 50 ODIs for her country and took 66 wickets at an outstanding average of 19.39 and an economy rate of 3.32. She also helped with the bat by scoring 96 runs. In 37 T20Is, she took 29 wickets with an average of 26.27 and an economy rate of 5.73. She last played for India in the 2014 Women’s T20 World Cup in Bangladesh. After that, she was dropped from the national team.
Even though her international career ended ten years ago, Gouher was still an important and active member of the domestic circuit. She played for a number of teams, such as Railways, Hyderabad, Puducherry, and Bengal. In her last years as a player, she played for the UP Warriorz in the Women’s Premier League (WPL), where she played in four games over two seasons.
Gouher was honest about the good and bad times in her career in her goodbye address. “There were days of victory and nights of deep thought. The game gave me everything: injuries, comebacks, heartbreaks, and high-fives. And now that I’m leaving this beloved chapter, I do it with no regrets and just deep thanks.
She also thanked everyone who helped her along the way, such as her teammates, coaches, selectors, and family, especially her mother and sister.
Gouher hinted at a future role in the sport at the end of her passionate statement. “Even though my career as a player is over, my love for the game is stronger than ever.” I can’t wait to help the sport in innovative ways that will inspire, guide, and serve the game that made me who I am. This isn’t the end. It’s merely the end of a great chapter.