Birthday special: Mithali Raj – The woman who inspired a generation of cricketers
Unarguably India’s finest batter, Mithali Raj, has reached unparalleled heights and glory in her international career spanning more than two decades. Born on 3rd December 1982 in Jodhpur to a Tamil family, Raj grew up in Hyderabad learning the basics of cricket alongside her brother. Brought up in an army family, the spirit of battle flew in Raj’s veins since the start of her career, and that is well-reflected in the fact that she played sport in an age when people barely considered it for women.
The foundation of her disciplined life, technical soundness in the game, and impeccable stroke-play flourished under the guidance of her coach, the late Sampath Kumar. Not being doubtful of entering into a male-dominated sphere, she continued pursuing the game with an unshakable will. At 16, a magnificent unbeaten 114 was how she announced her arrival in the ODIs for the nation.
🥇 Leading run-scorer in women’s ODIs
⭐ Highest run-scorer for 🇮🇳 in women’s T20Is
🏆 Two-time Women’s @cricketworldcup finalist
🔥 Most consecutive fifties in women’s ODIs – 7️⃣Happy birthday to Mithali Raj!
📽️ Watch her tell her story in this special video from CWC 2017: pic.twitter.com/Sp5QnmyN3s
— ICC (@ICC) December 3, 2020
But that was not it for Raj to show her mettle at a tender age. Playing just her third Test as a 19-year-old, she surpassed Karen Rolton’s 209* with her 214, against England at Taunton, to set the new record of the then best individual score in the longest format. Her century at 19 made her only the fifth woman to hit a Test double century. By 2004, she was captaining her national side, and in 2005, a young, unknown woman from India led the side to the finals of the World Cup.
Pushed into opening in T20Is by former teammate Purnima Rau, her career graph shot up uncontrollably in the shortest format of the game. Soon, she became an indispensable part in the opening slot of the shortest-format as she is to India’s middle-order in 50-overs cricket. With her ability with the bat in all three formats, she has inspired two generations of women who still doubt if they can make it to the highest level.
During the 2017 ODI World Cup, she pipped former England captain Charlotte Edwards to become the highest run-scorer in ODIs and the first woman to breach the 6000-run mark in the format. She is only the third player in women’s cricket history to lead the country in 100-plus ODIs, and her tally of 59 half-centuries in the ODIs, and finishing not out 55 times are unmatched records.
Mithali, who turns 39 today, stands as the woman with the most runs in the WODIs (7391) and the only Indian captain to have led the nation to two ODI World Cup finals. Though a cup has remained elusive, Raj has racked up some incredible numbers, and many firsts amongst them, to establish herself as the face of women’s cricket in India.
