India batter VR Vanitha announces retirement from all forms of cricket

New Delhi [India], February 21 (ANI): India batter VR Vanitha, who played six ODIs and 16 T20Is, announced her retirement from all forms of cricket on Monday.
The 31-year-old cricketer also thanked skipper Mithali Raj, Jhulan Goswami and family members for "encouraging" her from time to time.
"19 years ago, when I started playing cricket, I was just a little girl who loved sport. Even to this day, my love for cricket remains the same. What's changing is direction. My heart says continue playing, my body says stop and I've decided to listen to the latter. Time is ripe to hang my boots," Vanitha said in a statement.
"I hereby announce my retirement from all forms of cricket. It's been a journey of struggles, joy, heartbreak, learning and personal milestones. While there are a few regrets, I'm grateful for the opportunities I got, especially to represent India.
"Gargi Maam for opening new horizons to me, Jhulan for encouraging me from time to time and Mithali, she will always be my skipper! I look upto her, both on and off the field. Her humility, grace and respect for everyone are life lessons," she added.
Vanitha featured in domestic cricket for Karnataka and Bengal and made her international debut in January 2014. (ANI)