Indian Women Cricket Captain Mithali Raj is named to reckon with it and her record is testaments to them. She has represented the country in 263 matches and scored 6613 runs at an outstanding average of 51.81. In Test cricket, she has 50 plus batting average and has a double hundred to her name.
Her batting average in T20 cricket is also commendable and an average of 37.52 and the highest score of 97* with 17 half-centuries from the 89 T20Is. She has been playing for India for 18 years now. Also hold the record of being the youngest to score a hundred in women’s ODIs at the age of 16 years, 205 days.
Mithali Raj took a very tough decision to pick up one between dance and cricket. And she picked up cricket as her profession and rest is history. She was quoted saying that, “I would definitely admit that dance has helped me a lot in my initial days as a cricketer because I didn’t have to work much on fitness then because dancing for hours is fitness (regime) in itself. And it helped me a lot in my footwork.”
Her decision to retire from international T20s came as a shock to the entire nation and Indian cricket will never be the same. She has captivated us for two decades. Former Captain of Indian women team has been out o favour ever since the controversy that too during the 2018 ICC Women’s World T20. If reports are to believe Team Management had complained about her bad attitude and was dropped for the crucial semi-final match Vs England women’s team. She had also blamed then-coach Romesh Powar and CoA member Diana Edulji of showing partiality in an official complaint letter to BCCI.
During a recent interaction with media shed a light on decision od retiring from the shorter format and was quoted saying that, ” I had already discussed the issue and also shared it with the coach and selector during the New Zealand tour in January. Even before we got into the T20I series against England, had spoken to them as I could see that I wouldn’t be figuring in the next T20 World Cup”.
“I am planning for the ODI World Cup as there is a year-and-a-half more to go there is a year-and-a-half more to go. We have enough time to prepare for it as I am one of those players who invests a lot of time in preparation. I want the 2021 World Cup to be my swansong. That is what I am looking at and am working towards it. After T20 World Cup finishes every board will be preparing for the ODI World Cup so that period will be a busy one. That’s why this is the time for my preparations to get going”
Hyderabad Cricketer has been an inspiration for a generation of women cricketers and torchbearer for the sport in our country which is given confidence to girls to take up the sport as a career.
Also, there is great news for her fans as Viacom18 Motion Pictures has acquired the rights to make a biopic on her journey and was quoted saying that “I am extremely happy on this association with Viacom18 Motion Pictures. Hoping that this movie inspires more people, especially young girls to take up sports as a career.”
Viacom18 Motion Pictures released a statement and was quoted saying that “We are proud to be collaborating with the young and inspirational Mithali Dorai Raj, a name single-handedly responsible in bringing about a shift in the way women’s cricket team was perceived in our country.”
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