On Friday, July 25, news India all-rounder Veda Krishnamurthy took to social media to announce her retirement from professional cricket.
In an emotional post, Veda shared her decision with the caption: “A small-town girl with big dreams. From Kadur’s quiet lanes to wearing the India jersey with pride. This game gave me everything: joy, pain, purpose, and family. Today, I say goodbye to playing, but not to cricket.”
The former India batter expressed heartfelt gratitude to her family, teammates, coaches, friends, and all the supporters behind the scenes for their unwavering support throughout her career. She also acknowledged the fans, noting that their love, even from afar, meant more than they could ever know.
Veda also thanked the BCCI and her domestic associations, including the Railways Cricket Team, Karnataka State Cricket Association, and Karnataka Institute of Cricket, recognising their vital role in her journey. She paid tribute to both her national and domestic teammates, recalling the memorable 2017 World Cup campaign as a turning point that forever changed the perception of Indian women’s cricket.
Veda’s journey is nothing short of inspiring. The youngest of four siblings, she began playing street cricket at just three years old. Although initially reluctant to take up Karate, a discipline she did not enjoy, she later credited it with building her strength and mental toughness, earning a black belt by the age of 12.
Her formal cricket training started at 13 when she joined the Karnataka Institute of Cricket. Seeing her potential, the institute’s director, Irfan Sait, urged her father to move the family from their small town of Kaduru to Bengaluru to support her dream. Her father, a cable operator, made this sacrifice to help her pursue her ambition of representing India on the international stage.
Throughout her career, Veda credited her first coach, Irfan Sait, for teaching her the fundamentals of the game. She grew up admiring Mithali Raj, and their paths eventually crossed as teammates for both Karnataka and India, a full-circle moment in a remarkable career.
She made her international debut at the age of 18 in a One Day International (ODI) against England Women at Derby in June 2011, where she impressed with a score of 51 runs. Shortly after, she made her T20I debut for India during the T20 Quadrangular Series against Australia in Billericay on the same England tour.
Her last appearance in an ODI for India came against England at Nagpur on 12 April 2018. The final time she wore the India jersey was in the 2020 T20 World Cup final against Australia, a match that ended in heartbreak as India narrowly missed out on the ICC trophy once again.
Across 48 ODI matches, Veda amassed 829 runs, including eight half-centuries. In T20Is, she featured in 76 games, scoring 875 runs with two fifties to her name. Remarkably, in over 100 innings, she was dismissed without scoring only three times, which speaks volumes about her consistency at the crease.
One of her standout performances came in the final league match of the 2017 Women’s Cricket World Cup against New Zealand. Coming to bat in the 37th over, Veda smashed an explosive 70 runs off just 45 balls at a strike rate exceeding 150. Her innings included seven boundaries and two sixes, and it propelled India into the semi-finals. In the final itself, she scored 35 runs, keeping India’s hopes alive before being dismissed by Anya Shrubsole, who went on to be named Player of the Match.
Apart from her batting prowess, Veda was known for her exceptional fielding skills, taking nearly 60 catches during her international career and making a significant impact with both the bat and in the field. She also holds the record for the most catches in an innings in T20Is, having taken four catches against Australia in 2018.
As she steps away from professional cricket, Veda Krishnamurthy leaves behind a legacy defined not just by statistics but by grit, passion, and an unyielding pursuit of excellence.
