Vanitha VR, has announced her retirement at the age of 31.

VR Vanitha, who represented the country in six women’s ODIs and 16 T20Is between 2014 and 2016, announced her retirement from all forms of the game on Monday at the age of 31. She made her announcement on Twitter, and India teammates Jhulan Goswami and Mithali Raj were among those thanked by the cricketer, who made her national team debut in an ODI against Sri Lanka in January 2014. She also thanked her family, friends, mentor, and other team members for being a part of her journey.

Vanitha also thanked the two-state associations she represented in domestic cricket, Karnataka, and Bengal.

“I was just a little girl who loved sports when I first started playing 19 years ago. My passion for cricket remains unwavering to this day. What’s changed is the direction. My heart tells me to keep playing, but my body tells me to stop, and I’ve decided to listen to the latter. The time has come for me to hang up my boots “Vanitha stated in her blog post.

I am officially retiring from all forms of cricket. It’s been a journey full of ups and downs, joy and heartbreak, learning, and personal growth. While I have some regrets, I am grateful for the opportunities I have had, especially the opportunity to represent India.” The end of the game is not the end for her, but the beginning of a new challenge.”

Vanitha scored 85 and 216 runs in the limited number of ODIs and T20Is she played, respectively, and was a member of India’s squad during the Women’s World T20 at home.

Vanitha led Bengal to the Women’s Senior One-Day Trophy semi-finals in 2021-22, scoring 225 runs with knocks of 61 against Andhra and a 71-ball 107 against Hyderabad. During the tournament, she had a strike rate of more than 100.