Birthday Special: Mithali Raj – Lesser known facts about the Indian legend

Women’s cricket has witnessed several stars over the last two decades, but none of them shone brighter than former Indian captain Mithali Raj. A batting bulwark of the highest order, Mithali was nicknamed ‘Lady Tendulkar’ for her unparalleled achievements in the women’s game. The only Indian captain to lead a side in two ODI World Cup finals, Mithali bid farewell to international cricket in 2022 as the leading run scorer in ODI cricket. On Mithali’s 40th birth anniversary, we list some lesser-known facts about the iconic Indian cricketer.

An avid reader

Mithali Raj’s love for the game is no secret to anyone, however, the influential former Indian skipper also liked reading in her free time. During a game against England, Mithali was seen reading a book by Jalaluddin Rumi on life essentials before walking out to bat.

Dance to the rhythm

India’s cricketing history might have read very differently in the last two decades if it wasn’t for Mithali Raj. However, India nearly missed out on the record-setting batter as she was more interested in dancing in her younger days and was an ardent Bharatnatyam dancer before taking up cricket.

Born to a disciplinarian father

While much is not known about Mithali Raj’s family, she was born and bred in a punctual household as her father, Dorai Raj, was a Warrant Officer in the Indian Air Force.

Rubbed shoulders with big names during early career

Mithali Raj was a regular for the Railways in the domestic circuit and even got to play along with some big names like Purnima Rau, Anjum Chopra, and Anju Jain at a very young age. It is safe to say she left her peers a long way behind in the international arena.

A biopic was made for her invaluable contributions to the Indian team

Mithali Raj had a glittering career that saw her break several records on an inspiring journey. In 2022, a movie based on Raj’s phenomenal cricketing career was released in India. Bollywood star Taapsee Pannu played the starring role of Mithali Raj in the movie, which was named Shabaash Mithu.