India spinner Gouher Sultana retires from all forms of cricket
She last played for India in 2014, and returned to the limelight in the WPL a decade later
ESPNcricinfo staff
21-Aug-2025 • 11 hrs ago
Gouher Sultana played 50 ODIs and 37 T20Is for India • Pal Pillai/ICC/Getty Images
India left-arm spinner Gouher Sultana has announced her retirement from all forms of the game. She played 50 ODIs and 37 T20Is after making her debut in 2008, and last represented India in April 2014. Thereafter, Sultana came back into the limelight a decade later when she featured in the 2024 and 2025 WPL seasons.
"To have represented India at the highest level - in World Cups, tours and battles that tested both skill and spirit - has been the greatest honour of my life," Sultana wrote in her retirement announcement on Instagram. "Every wicket taken, every dive in the field, every huddle with my teammates has shaped the cricketer and the person I am today."
Sultana finished with 66 ODI wickets at an average of 19.39, the third-best for any India bowler to have taken at least 50 wickets in the format.
Sultana played in two ODI World Cups, in 2009 and 2013, and picked up 12 wickets in 11 matches at an average of 30.58. She also played in three T20 World Cups from 2009 to 2014, and took seven wickets while going at an economy rate of 5.81.
Sultana was signed by UP Warriorz (UPW) ahead of WPL 2024. She played two matches in the tournament, going wicketless across five overs. In 2025, Sultana again played two games for UPW, and only got to bowl the one over.
"There were times when I thought of quitting - seasons I didn't do well, my mental health was affected," Sultana told ESPNcricinfo before her comeback tournament in 2024. "But then even when I was about to give up, I was like, 'No, this shouldn't be the end. I want to end it the way I want it.' It was not to prove anything to anybody, but I enjoyed playing and I still enjoy playing. That's the primary reason I am still here."
Sultana, 37, is also a BCCI Level 2 coach.