Australian women’s cricket team captain, Meg Lanning, announced her retirement from international cricket on Thursday. Despite her farewell from the international stage, she intends to remain active in league cricket, including her captaincy role with the Delhi Capitals in the Women’s Premier League (WPL). This decision gives the Delhi Capitals a distinct advantage, as Lanning’s absence from international matches means there will be no concerns about her getting injured, allowing her to focus all her attention on the league cricket.
Meg Lanning’s retirement from international cricket will likely boost the WPL’s profile and her role as the Delhi Capitals’ captain. Her decision reflects the increasing allure of league cricket, driven by factors like reduced international commitments, financial incentives, enhanced exposure, extended playing careers, and balanced work-life opportunities.
Meg Lanning guided the Capitals to the final of the inaugural edition of the WPL this year, but unfortunately, her team faced defeat against the Harmanpreet Kaur-led Mumbai Indians in the final. However, Lanning’s exceptional performance with the bat saw her emerge as the top run-scorer in the tournament and bag the orange cap.
Meg Lanning bids adieu to international arena
Meg Lanning led Australia to win in four Twenty20 World Cups, a 50-over World Cup, and secured a Commonwealth Games gold medal. After a remarkable 13-year career in international cricket, during which she captained her country 182 times, Lanning expressed that the time was right to embark on a new chapter. In an emotional moment, Lanning became teary-eyed as she expressed her gratitude to her parents and family for their unwavering support throughout her journey.
“I’ve achieved so much within the game and been lucky enough to have such a successful career and be part of very successful teams,” Lanning told reporters at Melbourne Cricket Ground.
“I guess I feel like now I’ve got nothing left to achieve on the international stage. I can’t be half-in or half-out with anything and I guess that’s where I’ve landed with this decision.
Meg Lanning shared that she is uncertain about the specific nature of her future endeavors. However, she intends to fulfill her current contractual commitments by participating in domestic cricket, representing the Delhi Capitals in the WPL, the Melbourne Stars in the WBBL, and Victoria in the WNCL.
“I’ll continue playing domestically and I’ve got contracts with some teams so I’ll keep going with that. I haven’t thought too far ahead to be honest.” Lanning said.
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