Former New Zealand international Jeet Raval retires from professional cricket
What's the story
Former New Zealand international cricketer Jeet Raval has announced his retirement from professional cricket. The 38-year-old batsman, who played 24 Test matches for the Black Caps between 2016 and 2020, made the announcement ahead of the upcoming domestic season. "It's with great honor and privilege that I made this decision," Raval told Northern Districts Cricket Association after announcing his retirement.
Journey
Raval emigrated from India to New Zealand
Raval, who emigrated from the Indian state of Gujarat to Auckland as a teenager, made his first-class debut for Auckland against the West Indies in December 2008.
He had earlier opened the innings with Parthiv Patel at Vidyanagar School in Ahmedabad.
Though he started as a middle-order batsman for Auckland after moving to New Zealand, he later became one of the most successful openers in domestic cricket there.
Achievements
Over 10,000 FC runs for Raval
Raval opened the batting in 285 of his 292 First-Class innings, scoring 10,127 runs at an average of 37.36 with 23 centuries in that position.
He became the 30th New Zealander to join the elite club of players who have scored over 10,000 runs in FC cricket while captaining Northern Districts in December last year.
His last competitive match was for ND against Central Districts in March this year during the previous Plunket Shield season.
International success
He was part of the inaugural WTC-winning NZ team
Raval made his Test debut for New Zealand against Pakistan in Christchurch in 2016.
He took 28 innings to score his maiden century, which was also his only one, along with seven half-centuries.
He was part of the New Zealand team that won the inaugural World Test Championship (WTC) cycle in June 2021.
Raval also went on a week-long nationwide tour with the Test mace after winning the title.
The veteran finished with 1,143 Test runs at 30.07.
Career reflections
His thoughts on Black Caps career
Reflecting on his Black Caps career, Raval told Cricinfo last year, "It was one of the most successful times in our Test history when I was part of the team."
He added, "I really enjoyed contributing to the team. Early in my career, I hadn't got a hundred but I was still getting the starts and helping the team build that foundation."
Later career
His contributions to New Zealand domestic cricket
In New Zealand domestic cricket, Raval was a mainstay for Auckland, Central Districts, and Northern Districts.
He was known as a dependable top-order batsman and a good slip fielder.
He led ND to their first Plunket Shield title in over a decade during the 2024-25 season.
Later in his career, he also tried his hand at coaching as an assistant to head coach Tarun Nethula with the Samoa team.