Jeet Raval, who represented New Zealand in 24 Test matches between 2016 and 2020, has decided to retire from professional cricket ahead of the 2026-27 domestic season.
“It’s with a great honour and a privilege that I made this decision,” Raval shared with the Northern Districts Cricket Association. “I feel at peace and very content. The childhood dream 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.”
After relocating from Gujarat, India, to Auckland as a teenager, Raval made his first-class debut for Auckland in December 2008 against the West Indies. Initially batting in the middle order, he transitioned into a formidable opening batsman in New Zealand’s domestic scene. Across 292 first-class innings, he opened 285 times, amassing 10,127 runs at an average of 37.36, with 23 centuries.
Raval became the 30th New Zealander to surpass 10,000 runs in first-class cricket in late 2025. His last competitive match for Northern Districts was against Central Districts in March this year. In total, he scored 8,662 runs in the Plunket Shield, with only Michael Papps, Matthew Sinclair, and Peter Fulton outscoring him in the competition’s history.
Raval made his Test debut against Pakistan in Christchurch in 2016. He reached his maiden Test century after 28 innings, adding seven half-centuries to his record. He was a squad member during the inaugural World Test Championship cycle, which New Zealand won in 2021, and participated in a domestic tour with the championship mace.
Reflecting on his career with the Black Caps, Raval spoke to Cricinfo, saying, “It was one of the most successful times in our Test history when I was part of the team, and we had a great team and we had a lot of success along the way as well… I remember there being a lot of external pressure to score a hundred, but internally Kane, Ross [Taylor] and the other senior players never made it feel like I hadn’t scored a hundred. They always made me feel like I was contributing.”
Known as a stalwart in New Zealand’s domestic scene, Raval was a dependable opener and respected leader. He captained Northern Districts to their first Plunket Shield victory in over a decade in the 2024-25 season. “From an ND perspective, Jeet has been the ultimate senior pro and leader since joining us,” Ian Sandbrook, Northern Districts’ GM of Cricket, remarked. “More than anything, though, Jeet is a great man. Respected, loyal, and an outstanding team-mate that has always given his best.”
Raval also bowled part-time leg-spin, picking up 14 wickets at an impressive average of 11.14 during Northern Districts’ Plunket Shield win. His List A career saw him score 2,714 runs over 96 games, while in T20 matches, he accumulated 1,484 runs.
More recently, Raval ventured into coaching, acting as an assistant to Samoa’s head coach, Tarun Nethula. Off the pitch, he has been practising as a chartered accountant, which he is likely to focus on full-time going forward.
