Alyssa Healy has made a surprise announcement that she will retire from all forms of cricket after Australia’s home series against India in February–March 2026.

Healy will play in the three ODIs and the one-off Test at the WACA before ending her brilliant 16-year international career. During this period, she won six T20 World Cups and two ODI World Cups with Australia.

Healy will not take part in the T20I matches, as she will also miss the T20 World Cup. Speaking on the Willow Talk podcast, Healy said, “It’s been a long time coming. The last few years have been more mentally draining than anything else. I have had a few injuries, and it has become harder to push myself the way I used to.”

Also read-Record Alert: Shreyas Iyer on the brink of all-time record ahead of IND vs NZ 2nd ODI

She added that while she still wants to compete and win, she feels that some of her competitive edge has faded with age. With Healy stepping down and the T20 World Cup approaching, Australia will now begin looking at options to replace her as captain.

Here are five players who could replace Alyssa Healy as the next Australian captain.

1. Ashleigh Gardner

Star all-rounder Ashleigh Gardner is a strong option to replace Alyssa Healy as Australia’s next captain. She currently leads the Sydney Sixers in the WBBL and the Gujarat Giants in the WPL.

Sixers coach Matthew Mott has spoken highly of her leadership and said she could “become one of the best leaders ever produced in Australian cricket.”

2. Ellyse Perry

Legendary all-rounder Ellyse Perry is another strong candidate. Although she has never captained Australia, Perry has plenty of leadership experience in the WBBL, where she has led teams in 150 matches.

3. Phoebe Litchfield

Young star Phoebe Litchfield is a long-term captaincy option for Australia. At just 22 years old, she could lead the team for many years. She is a talented batter and is seen as one of the future stars of Australian cricket.

While some may feel she is too young, it is worth noting that Meg Lanning became Australia captain in 2014 when she was not even 22.

4. Tahlia McGrath

Star all-rounder Tahlia McGrath is another option. She has been Australia’s vice-captain since 2023. However, her recent form may work against her. In the ongoing WBBL, McGrath has averaged 14 and has taken only five wickets in 10 matches.

5. Beth Mooney

Beth Mooney is another possible captaincy choice. The wicketkeeper-batter is known for performing well in big matches, especially in World Cup knockout games.

However, she has limited captaincy experience. So far, she has led teams in only 22 T20 matches in her career.