Mithali Raj completes a rare feat in her international career
Mithali will be seen marshalling her troops once again, a familiar sight in Indian cricket, when they take on England in the first ODI on Sunday. Over the years, she has proved that with sheer dedication and hard work
Published Date - 27 June 2021, 12:03 AM
Hyderabad: When 16-year-old Mithali Raj made her debut in international cricket on June 26, 1999 against Ireland, little did anyone know that she would one day reach the game’s pinnacle. She announced her arrival in a grand style with an unbeaten century. Twenty two years later, she is still going strong at the age of 38.
Mithali will be seen marshalling her troops once again, a familiar sight in Indian cricket, when they take on England in the first ODI on Sunday. Over the years, she has proved that with sheer dedication and hard work, anything is possible on the cricket field.
She holds numerous records to her name in international cricket. She is the highest run getter for India in all three formats and led the side in two ICC ODI World Cups. She stands tall in the list of most women’s ODI matches as captain with 137 matches. She is also the highest run getter in ODIs at 7,098 runs. Mithali is the only Indian and second in the world in women’s cricket to score 10,000 international runs after Charlotte Edwards.
She is a true inspiration and role model to all the youngsters in the country. While many current Indian cricketers say that they took to the game because of Mithali, she continues to inspire the younger generation. Her game doesn’t need any validation as the numbers speak for themselves. The Hyderabadi is set to break Sachin Tendulkar’s longevity whose career spanned over 22 years 91 days. Given the number of injuries the sportspersons are associated with, this is no small feat.
Reaching the twilight of her career, Mithali wishes to lay her hands on the ICC ODI World Cup. She also ended her T20 career September 2019, in a bid to focus solely on this goal and extend her career. “There is still one-and-a-half year to go for the ODI World Cup. I think this is the right time to start preparing myself and keep my energy intact. I am one of the players who believes and gives a lot of time for preparation. Twice we came close to winning it by reaching finals. The 2021 World Cup (now postponed to 2022) is a great opportunity for us as the team is shaping up very well in ODIs,” she said while announcing her T20 retirement.
Speaking on the eve of their first ODI, Mithali, who was asked about what advice she would give a 16-year-old Mithali who made her debut on this day 22 years ago, said, “It feels nice to get messages congratulating me on my career. The advice I would give the 16-year-old Mithali would be to just enjoy getting on to the ground for the first time representing your country, which clearly I didn’t then. I didn’t get the opportunity to understand the importance of wearing the Indian jersey as the expectations were so high on me to perform.”
Speaking about the ODI series, she added, “Going into the series, we are very positive. England is one of the best sides in the world and they have a home advantage. We have players who have played in leagues and that will help us do well in ODIs.”
She also said youngster Shefali Verma should continue in her aggressive style of play. “That’s Shefali’s style of batting. She will have to be consistent, but she is still young. I have always encouraged her to play the natural game and if she gives us a great start, experienced players will take it from there. I want Shefali to bring her usual energy to the batting line-up. And even if we lose early wickets we have the batting depth to rely on,” said Mithali.
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