Star Australian Batter to Retire From All Formats Ahead of ICC T20 World Cup

January 13, 2026: Australian women’s captain Alyssa Healy has announced that she will retire from all formats of international cricket after the upcoming multi-format home series against India in February–March 2026. One of the most successful players in women’s cricket history, Healy’s retirement will end a 16-year international career.

The 35-year-old shared her decision during an appearance on the Willow Talk podcast. She spoke about the mental and physical pressure of playing at the highest level. Her retirement means Australia will enter the 2026 Women’s T20 World Cup with a new captain.

Healy will miss the T20I matches against India to help the team prepare for the World Cup. However, she will continue to lead Australia in the ODI series. Her final international appearance will be in the one-off day-night Test at the WACA in Perth, scheduled from March 6 to 9.

Healy admitted that the past few years have been mentally exhausting. She said injuries, including one during the ODI World Cup, affected her form and consistency. She also explained that continuing until the T20 World Cup would not have been fair to her teammates, especially with limited preparation time.

Healy reflects on her retirement decision

Alyssa Healy said she has mixed emotions about the upcoming India series, which will be her last for Australia. She said she still loves playing for her country, but feels that the competitive edge that drove her for many years is no longer the same. Healy added that the timing feels right for her to step away from international cricket.

She confirmed that she will not take part in the T20 World Cup this year and will also miss the T20I matches against India due to the team’s limited preparation time. However, she said she is excited to end her career by captaining the ODI and Test teams at home in one of Australia’s biggest series.

“I’ll truly miss my teammates, singing the team song, and walking out to open the batting for Australia. Representing my country has been a huge honour, and I’m thankful for one last series in the green and gold,” Healy said.

A decorated international career

Healy began her international career in 2010, making her debut at the age of 19. Since then, she has played 162 T20Is, 126 ODIs, and 11 Tests, scoring more than 7,000 runs across all formats.

She holds the record for the highest individual score in T20Is by a player from a Full Member nation, with 148 not out. She also has the most dismissals in T20Is across both men’s and women’s cricket.

Team success and individual honours

Healy was part of eight ICC World Cup-winning teams, including six T20 World Cups and two ODI World Cups. She also played a key role in Australia’s gold medal win at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

On an individual level, Healy won the Belinda Clark Award in 2019 and was named ICC Women’s T20I Cricketer of the Year in both 2018 and 2019