Jeet Raval retires from cricket [Source: AFP]Jeet Raval has announced his retirement from professional cricket. The 38-year-old confirmed his decision mere days before the commencement of the 2026-27 New Zealand domestic season.Raval, who plays for Northern Districts in domestic cricket, has previously played 24 Test matches for New Zealand between the years 2016 and 2020.India-born Jeet Raval at “peace” with retirement decisionBorn in Ahmedabad in September 1988, Jeet Raval’s family moved to New Zealand sometime around the year 2004. Interestingly, before playing for New Zealand, Raval also played school cricket in Ahmedabad.While speaking with the Northern Districts Cricket Association, the 38-year-old has now confirmed his retirement from all forms of cricket.ALSO READMichael Bracewell Opts Casual Contract, Replaced By Nick Kelly In New Zealand Central ContractHe said, “It's with a great honour and a privilege that I made this decision. I feel at peace and very content. The childhood dream was obviously to play for Black Caps and I look back with pride. It wasn't just my dream, but also my father's dream as well. We saw an opportunity and he moved the family here so I could have an opportunity to live my dream.”Raval last played any form of competitive cricket back during the 2025-26 Plunkett Shield season earlier this year. In eight matches for the Northern Districts team, the left-handed top-order batter aggregated 473 runs in 15 innings at an average of 31.53 in the season. He punched out two centuries and two fifties in the process, with his final fifty-plus score occurring against Otago in Dunedin this year in March.A look at Jeet Raval playing careerJeet Raval used to play for the Vidyanagar School in Ahmedabad, and even opened the innings with former India wicketkeeper-batter Parthiv Patel during his early days. The India-born cricketer commenced his competitive cricket journey in New Zealand in December 2008, i.e., roughly four years after his family migrated to the country. He was selected in Auckland squad for a tour match against the visiting West Indies team in Auckland, and scored a fluent 31 in the game.He played many matches for Auckland and Central Districts over the next decade, before joining the Northern Districts side during the 2020-21 New Zealand domestic season.Notably, Jeet Raval received his maiden Test cap for New Zealand in November 2016, and he went on to play 24 Tests in his career up until January 2020. In 39 innings, the left-hander minted 1,143 runs at an average of 30.07 with one century and seven fifties. Overall, the New Zealand domestic veteran played 164 first-class matches and mounted 10,432 runs with 24 hundreds and 50 half-centuries. He also played 172 white-ball games, aggregating more than 4,000 runs combined across both formats. ALSO READPCB Announces Pakistan Squad For Hong Kong Sixes; Abbas Afridi To Lead
