Former India opener Sabbhineni Meghana retires from all forms of cricket

Former India women's opening batter Sabbhineni Meghana has retired from all forms of cricket. She announced it on Friday, October 23, in a social media post, bringing her cricket career to an end. Meghana was part of the Indian women's team that won the silver medal at the Commonwealth Games in 2022.

Announcing her retirement, Meghana also wrote about her emotional bond with cricket. She said that taking the field in India's jersey at the international level felt like a dream come true. She said cricket had taught her courage and humility, and had given her memories to treasure for a lifetime.

In the post, Meghana thanked her family, coaches, fellow players and support staff. She made a special mention of the support and sacrifices of her family during the difficult phases of her career. She also expressed gratitude for the backing of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the Andhra Cricket Association (ACA), Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), Gujarat Giants and RSPB.

Meghana, 30, from Andhra Pradesh, represented India from 2016 to 2022. She played 3 One-Day Internationals and 17 T20 Internationals for India, 20 international matches in all. She scored 114 runs in ODIs, including one half-century, and has 258 runs in T20s, also with one half-century.

Meghana has also played in the Women's Premier League. She was part of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru side that won the title in 2024. After playing international and franchise cricket, she has now decided to retire from all forms of the game.

Meghana said that although her playing days are over, her bond with cricket will remain. She said her aim is to guide the next generation of players and contribute to the development of cricket in the future.

At the end of her message, Meghana thanked cricket. She said that even though her playing days are over, cricket will remain in her heart, her passion and her purpose in life. She also noted that she wishes to contribute in future to the game that gave her everything.