While her retirement from the Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is) seemed like a decision taken in a hurry, Mithali Raj had it planned for a long time. Although there were reports of her making herself available for the upcoming series against South Africa available, according to Raj, it was a case of misunderstanding. Speaking to ET Sport, Raj talked about her decision to retire from the shortest format, the highs and lows she experienced during her long T20I career and more. Excerpts … When did you decide to retire from T20 internationals? Was it a sudden decision? No, it wasn’t sudden. This was something that I had already decided during the New Zealand tour (January-February 2019). I had told the coach, WV Raman, and the chief selector (Hemlata Kala). In New Zealand, during a chat I realised the coach was planning for the next T20 World Cup (February-March 2020). It was important for me keep the coach and the selectors in the loop about my plan. What was the coach’s reaction when you told him about your decision? I think he understood me. He told me he would have given me a couple of matches in the T20 series against New Zealand…