Punam Raut, India's top scorer in the 2017 World Cup final, retires
Representative image: shents / Pixabay
India opener Punam Raut, who top-scored with 86 in the 2017 Women's World Cup final, retired from all international cricket on 15 October 2026.
What Happened
Punam Raut, the India opener who top-scored for her team in the 2017 Women's World Cup final at Lord's, announced her retirement from all forms of international cricket on Thursday, 15 October 2026. In a post on Instagram, she said she had made the decision after much thought and reflection. Raut played four Tests, 73 one-day internationals and 35 T20 internationals for India between 2009 and 2021, scoring 2,299 ODI runs with three centuries. She had not played for India since 2021, when her last international appearance came in the pink-ball Test against Australia at Carrara.
Key Facts
- Punam Raut retired from all international cricket on 15 October 2026, announcing it on Instagram.
- She played 4 Tests, 73 ODIs and 35 T20Is for India from 2009 to 2021.
- She scored 264 Test runs, 2,299 ODI runs and 719 T20I runs; her ODI tally included three centuries.
- She top-scored for India with 86 in the 2017 Women's World Cup final against England at Lord's.
- In May 2017 she and Deepti Sharma put on 320 runs for the first wicket against Ireland, then a world-record opening stand in women's ODIs; Raut made 109.
- Her final international appearance was the September 2021 day-night Test against Australia at Carrara.
- In her statement she said cricket had given her "a purpose, an identity, and a family", and that she wanted to give back to the game.
Why It Matters
In her own statement, Raut described the 2017 World Cup campaign as having changed women's cricket in India, and she was central to it. In the final against England at Lord's, she top-scored with 86, though India lost the match. Her steady batting at the top of the order was a key part of how India played in that era.
Her partnership with Deepti Sharma against Ireland earlier that year was another landmark. The 320-run opening stand was a world record for an opening partnership in women's ODIs when it was made, and it showed the depth of India's batting.
Raut is also remembered for an act of sportsmanship. In the 2021 Carrara Test, she walked off after edging a ball even though she had not been given out. Her retirement, five years after her last match, formally closes a career that spanned more than a decade of growth in the women's game.
| Format | Matches | Runs |
|---|---|---|
| Tests | 4 | 264 |
| One-day internationals | 73 | 2,299 |
| T20 internationals | 35 | 719 |
Impact
Short-term: Raut's retirement makes no change to India's current squad, as she had not been selected since 2021. Tributes from former teammates and officials are likely in the coming days.
Long-term: Raut has said she wants to give back to the game, which could mean coaching, mentoring or administration. Players from the 2017 generation are increasingly moving into such roles as the women's game in India grows.
Who is affected: Raut and her family; her former teammates from the 2017 World Cup side; the Mumbai cricket community, which she thanked in her statement; and young women cricketers for whom that generation opened doors.
Key Takeaway
Punam Raut, India's top scorer in the 2017 Women's World Cup final, retired from international cricket on 15 October 2026 after 112 matches across three formats.
Questions and Answers
Has Punam Raut retired?
Yes. Punam Raut announced her retirement from all forms of international cricket on 15 October 2026 in an Instagram post, saying she had decided after much thought and reflection.
What are Punam Raut's career statistics?
She played 4 Tests, 73 ODIs and 35 T20Is for India between 2009 and 2021, scoring 264 Test runs, 2,299 ODI runs with three centuries, and 719 T20I runs.
What was Punam Raut's role in the 2017 World Cup final?
She top-scored for India with 86 against England at Lord's, though India lost the final.
What record did Punam Raut set with Deepti Sharma?
In May 2017 against Ireland, the two put on 320 runs for the first wicket, then a world record for an opening stand in women's ODIs. Raut scored 109.
Disclaimer: Prepared by the Peepals newsroom from publicly available sources with AI assistance. Information is accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication and may change. Images may be representative. Not professional advice. Report an error via our contact page.
Sourced and fact-checked by the Peepals Global Editorial Team
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