Mithali Raj
Mithali in 2018
Personal information
Full name
Mithali Dorai Raj
Born (1982-12-03) 3 December 1982[1]
Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India
Height5 ft 4 in (1.63 m)
BattingRight-handed
BowlingRight-arm leg break
RoleTop-order batter
International information
National side
Test debut (cap 56)14 January 2002 v England
Last Test30 September 2021 v Australia
ODI debut (cap 56)26 June 1999 v Ireland
Last ODI27 March 2022 v South Africa
ODI shirt no.03
T20I debut (cap 9)5 August 2006 v England
Last T20I9 March 2019 v England
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
1996/97–1998/99Andhra
1999/00Air India
2000/01–2021/22Railways
2018Supernovas
2019–2022Velocity
Career statistics
Competition WTest WODI WT20I
Matches 12 232 89
Runs scored 699 7,805 2,364
Batting average 43.68 50.68 37.52
100s/50s 1/4 7/64 0/17
Top score 214 125* 97*
Balls bowled 72 171 6
Wickets 0 8 0
Bowling average – 11.37 –
5 wickets in innings – 0 –
10 wickets in match – 0 –
Best bowling – 3/4 –
Catches/stumpings 12/– 58/- 19/–
Source: ESPNcricinfo, 27 March 2022

Mithali Dorai Raj (born 3 December 1982) is an Indian former cricketer and captain of the India women's national cricket team from 2004 to 2022.[2][3] She is the highest run-scorer in women's international cricket, and ESPN ranked her as one of the greatest female cricketers of all time.[4][5] Raj has received several national and international awards, including the Wisden Leading Woman Cricketer in the World in 2017, Arjuna Award in 2003, the Padma Shri in 2015, and Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna in 2021.

Raj holds numerous records in international cricket. She is the only female cricketer to surpass the 7,000-run mark in Women's One Day International (WODI) matches.[6][7] She is the first player to score seven consecutive 50s in ODIs.[8] She also holds the record for most half-centuries in WODIs.[9]

In 2005, Mithali Raj became the permanent captain of India. She is the only female player to have captained India in more than one ICC ODI World Cup final, doing so twice in the 2005 and the 2017.[10][11]

In June 2018, during the 2018 Women's Twenty20 Asia Cup, she became the first player from India to score 2000 runs in T20Is. She also became the first female cricketer to reach 2000 WT20I runs.[12][13][14]

On 1 February 2019, during India's series against New Zealand Women, Mithali Raj became the first woman to play in 200 ODI matches.[15] In September 2019 she announced her retirement from T20Is to focus on ODI cricket.[16] In 2019, she became the first woman to complete 20 years in international cricket.[17]

In July 2021, Raj broke Charlotte Edwards's record of 10,273 runs to become the player with the most runs in women's international cricket.[18][19]

On 8 June 2022, Raj announced her retirement from all formats of international cricket.[20]

Early life

Mithali Raj was born on 3 December 1982, in Jodhpur, Rajasthan. Her mother is Leela Raj, and her father, Dorai Raj, was a warrant officer in the Indian Air Force. She lives in Hyderabad, Telangana.[21][22]

Raj started playing cricket at the age of ten. She graduated from Keyes High School for Girls in Hyderabad, and Kasturba Gandhi Junior College for Women in Secunderabad.[23] She received cricket coaching in elementary school alongside her older brother.[24][25]

Domestic career

Raj played for Air India alongside Purnima Rau, Anjum Chopra, and Anju Jain, before joining Railways for the domestic championship.[26] She has played for the Supernovas and Velocity in the Women's T20 Challenge.[27]

International career

Raj has played all three of India's cricket formats: Test, ODI, and T20.[28] She was named among the probables for the 1997 Women's Cricket World Cup when she was fourteen, but she did not make it to the final squad.[29] She made her ODI debut in 1999 against Ireland at Milton Keynes, UK, and scored an unbeaten 114 runs. She made her Test debut in the 2001–02 season against South Africa at Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India.[30]

On 17 August 2002, at the age of 19, she broke Karen Rolton's world record for the highest individual test score of 209* in her third test, scoring a new high of 214 against England in the second and final test at County Ground, Taunton, UK.[31][32] The record has since been surpassed by Kiran Baluch of Pakistan, who scored 242 against the West Indies in March 2004.[33]

In South Africa in 2005, Raj led India to their first finals in 2005 Women's Cricket World Cup, where they lost to Australia.[34]

In August 2006 she led her team to their first-ever Test and series victory in England, and concluded the year by successfully defending the Asia Cup without losing a single game.[35]

Mithali Raj won the 2003 Arjuna award.

At the 2013 Women's World Cup, Raj was the number 1 woman ODI cricketer. In her career , she scored one century and four fifties in Test cricket, five centuries and five fifties in ODIs, together with best bowling figures of 3–4 in ODIs, and ten fifties in T20s.[36]

In February 2017 she became the second player to score 5,500 runs in ODIs.[8] Raj is the first player to captain the most matches for India in ODI and T20I.[37][38]

In July 2017 she became the first player to score 6,000 runs in WODIs. She led the Indian team to the final of the 2017 Women's Cricket World Cup where the team lost to England by nine runs.[39][40][41]

In December 2017 she played on the ICC Women's ODI Team of the Year.[42][43]

In October 2018 she played on India's squad for the 2018 ICC Women's World Twenty20 tournament in the West Indies.[44][45]

Raj retired from T20I cricket in September 2019, saying in a BCCI press statement: "After representing India in T20 internationals since 2006, I wish to retire from T20Is to focus my energies on readying myself for the 2021 one-day World Cup".[46][47]

In November 2020, Raj was nominated for the Rachael Heyhoe-Flint Award for ICC Female Cricketer of the Decade, and the award for women's ODI cricketer of the decade.[48][49]

In May 2021 she was named captain of India's Test squad for their one-off (one-time only) match against the England women's cricket team.[50] In January 2022, she was named captain of India's team for the 2022 Women's Cricket World Cup in New Zealand.[51]

On 8 June 2022, Raj announced her retirement from all formats of International cricket.[52]

Coaching career

Raj was the batting consultant for India women's national cricket team, and has played as a player-coach.[53]

Records

  • Raj is nicknamed "Lady Tendulkar of Indian Women's cricket", as she is currently the all-time leading run-scorer for India in all formats, including Tests, ODIs and T20Is.[54]
  • During the 2017 Women's Cricket World Cup, Raj scored her seventh consecutive half-century, and notched the record for most consecutive fifties by a player.[55][56]
  • Raj is the 1st Indian and 5th woman cricketer overall to score over 1,000 World Cup runs.[57]
  • She holds the record for playing the most consecutive Women's One Day Internationals for a team (109).[58]

Mithali Raj was involved in controversy with cricket management because of her attitude towards the game during the 2018 ICC Women's World Twenty20.[59] In a letter to the BCCI, she accused coach Ramesh Powar and BCCI COA member Diana Edulji of bias, and of humiliating her by not including her in the T20 world cup semifinals.[60] Powar, in turn, criticized Raj for threatening to retire from cricket when asked to play down the batting order.[61] He further accused Raj of "blackmailing and pressuring coaches" and causing division in the team during the recently concluded World T20. He added, "despite being a senior player in the team she puts in minimum inputs in team meetings. She could not understand and adapt to the team plan. She ignored her role and batted for own milestones. Lack of keeping the momentum going which was putting extra pressure on other batters."[62] Coach Powar also criticized Raj's 50 against Ireland in the same tournament, in which she ended up playing 25 dot balls.[63]

Her relationship with the T20 team's captain Harmanpreet Kaur was strained.[64] However, after reappointment of Ramesh Powar as Head Coach of the Indian women's cricket team in May 2021, the two have reconciled.[65] Raj and Kaur confirmed in various interviews that there was no bad blood between them.

Awards

President Shri Pranab Mukherjee presenting the Padma Shri Award to Mithali Raj, New Delhi, 8 April 2015
Year Award Notes
2003 Arjuna Award[66]
2015 Padma Shri India's fourth highest civilian award[67]
2017 Youth Sports Icon of Excellence Award.! At the Radiant Wellness Conclave, Chennai[68]
2017 Vogue Sportsperson of the Year At Vogue's 10th anniversary[69]
2017 BBC 100 Women[70]
2017 Wisden Leading Woman Cricketer in the World
2021 Khel Ratna Award[71] Highest sporting honour of India

Outside cricket

Personal life and interests

She is a Bharatanatyam dancer.[72]

After the 2017 Women's Cricket World Cup, Viacom 18 Motion Pictures acquired the rights to make a feature film of Raj's life. She said, "Hoping that this movie inspires more people, especially young girls to take up sports as a career".[73]

Shooting was scheduled to start in 2019. Raj said "I think Priyanka Chopra will be a great choice (to play me in the biopic). Our personalities match a lot. I am not a movie buff, so I'd love the experts to do their job."[74] However, finally Taapsee Pannu was cast in the role of Mithali Raj in a biopic titled Shabaash Mithu. Rahul Dholakia was to direct in 2020. However, filming was delayed due to COVID-19. In June 2021, Srijit Mukherji replaced Dholakia as director.[75][76] The film was released on 15 July 2022.[77] The movie was a financial disaster, earning only rupees 2.88 crore from a budget of 30.0 crore.[78][79]

References

Citations

  1. ↑ "Mithali Raj turns 37, Twitterati pours wishes for India's women's ODI skipper". www.timesnownews.com. 3 December 2019. Archived from the original on 7 March 2023. Retrieved 13 August 2022.
  2. ↑ Mithali Raj Archived 5 May 2020 at the Wayback Machine ESPNcricinfo
  3. ↑ "Raj finds life lonely at the top". Archived from the original on 20 July 2017. Retrieved 13 July 2017.
  4. ↑ Ghosh, Annesha. "ESPNcricinfo". ESPN Edition US. ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
  5. ↑ Mohanarangan, Vinayakk (21 May 2020). "Data check: Greatest of all time? Mithali Raj's domination of ODI cricket is unreal". Scroll.in. Archived from the original on 20 September 2022. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
  6. ↑ "Record-setting Raj top of the women's charts". ESPNcricinfo. Archived from the original on 13 July 2017. Retrieved 12 July 2017.
  7. ↑ "Mithali Raj becomes leading run-scorer in women's ODI cricket; surpasses England's Charlotte Edwards". Indian Express. 12 July 2017. Archived from the original on 13 July 2017. Retrieved 12 July 2017.
  8. 1 2 "Meshram-Raj and spin quartet to the fore in emphatic India win". International Cricket Council. Archived from the original on 16 February 2017. Retrieved 15 February 2017.
  9. ↑ "Records. Women's One-Day Internationals. Batting records. Most fifties in career". ESPNcricinfo. Archived from the original on 27 March 2016. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  10. ↑ "India's chance to spur a revolution". Archived from the original on 12 November 2018. Retrieved 22 July 2017.
  11. ↑ "Team of the ICC Women's World Cup 2017 announced". Archived from the original on 12 November 2018. Retrieved 26 July 2017.
  12. ↑ "Mithali Raj edges Virat Kohli, becomes first India cricketer to score 2000 T20I runs". The Times of India. 7 June 2018. Archived from the original on 7 June 2018. Retrieved 7 June 2018.
  13. ↑ NDTVSports.com. "Women's Asia Cup: Mithali Raj Becomes First Woman To Reach 2000 T20I Runs – NDTV Sports". NDTVSports.com. Archived from the original on 7 June 2018. Retrieved 10 June 2018.
  14. ↑ "'Consistent run machine': Mithali Raj becomes FIRST Indian to score 2000 runs in T20Is; fans ECSTATIC". The Indian Express. 7 June 2018. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 10 June 2018.
  15. ↑ "Mithali Raj at 200: The best of a record-breaking career". International Cricket Council. Archived from the original on 1 February 2019. Retrieved 1 February 2019.
  16. ↑ "Mithali Raj retires from T20I cricket". ESPNcricinfo. 3 September 2019. Archived from the original on 3 September 2019. Retrieved 3 September 2019.
  17. ↑ "Mithali Raj becomes 1st woman to complete 20 years in international cricket". Hindustan Times. 9 October 2019. Archived from the original on 9 October 2019. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
  18. ↑ "Record-breaking Mithali Raj becomes leading run-scorer in women's international cricket". Times of Sports. Archived from the original on 7 July 2021. Retrieved 3 July 2021.
  19. ↑ "Mithali Raj: India captain becomes leading run-scorer in women's cricket". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 3 July 2021. Retrieved 3 July 2021.
  20. ↑ "India's Mithali Raj announces retirement from international cricket". Times of Sports. 8 June 2022. Archived from the original on 2 July 2022. Retrieved 8 June 2022.
  21. ↑ "Mithali Raj on pitch, but 1 1-year wait for 500 yards". The Times of India. 28 July 2017. Archived from the original on 31 July 2017. Retrieved 28 July 2017.
  22. ↑ "Indian women will play test cricket after eight years, captain Mithali Raj happy". Patrika Group. No. 4 August 2014. Archived from the original on 8 August 2014. Retrieved 4 August 2014.
  23. ↑ "Cricketer Mithali Raj felicitated". The Hans India. 7 September 2017. Archived from the original on 20 August 2022. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
  24. ↑ "Mithali Raj at India Speakers Bureau". India Speakers Bureau. Archived from the original on 29 June 2021. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
  25. ↑ "मैंने वास्तव में भविष्य के बारे में नहीं सोचा है : मिताली राज". Niharika Times. 17 October 2019. Archived from the original on 25 April 2022. Retrieved 25 April 2022.
  26. ↑ Katyal, Surabhi. "9 Things to Know About Mithali Raj – 2nd Woman Cricketer in the World with 5000 ODI Runs". thebetterindia.com. Archived from the original on 8 July 2015. Retrieved 9 February 2015.
  27. ↑ "Mithali Raj, Jhulan Goswami to miss Women's T20 Challenge 2022 as BCCI announces squads of three teams". TimesNow. 16 May 2022. Archived from the original on 16 May 2022. Retrieved 16 May 2022.
  28. ↑ "Thank you, Mithali Raj, for being Indian cricket's evergreen woman in blue". Archived from the original on 5 December 2016. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
  29. ↑ "Mithali Raj – From Bharatnatyam dancer to cricket icon". The Times of India. 13 July 2017. Archived from the original on 16 July 2017. Retrieved 15 July 2017.
  30. ↑ "Mithali Raj Biography: Birth, Age, Early Life, Cricket Career, Records, Awards & More". Jagranjosh.com. 1 June 2022. Archived from the original on 29 January 2023. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
  31. ↑ "ESPNcricinfo – Women's Test Highest Individual Scores". Archived from the original on 31 July 2017. Retrieved 15 February 2017.
  32. ↑ Mukherjee, Abhishek (16 August 2018). "The day Mithali Raj registered the highest ever Test score". CricketCountry.com. Archived from the original on 27 January 2021. Retrieved 15 March 2021.
  33. ↑ "Most runs in an innings (progressive record holder) in Women's Test matches". Archived from the original on 18 August 2016. Retrieved 17 August 2016.
  34. ↑ "Why Women's Cricket World Cup final is extra special for Mithali Raj, Jhulan Goswami". 22 July 2017. Archived from the original on 23 July 2017. Retrieved 22 July 2017.
  35. ↑ Experts, Disha (6 October 2017). Quarterly Current Affairs July-September 2017. ISBN 9789386629593. Archived from the original on 7 March 2023. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
  36. ↑ "Mithali 200 ODIs player and highest run-scorer". YoGems. 1 March 2019. Archived from the original on 8 April 2019. Retrieved 26 May 2019.
  37. ↑ "Records. Women's One-Day Internationals. Individual records (Captains, players, umpires). Most matches as captain". Archived from the original on 22 February 2017. Retrieved 21 February 2017.
  38. ↑ "Records. Women's Twenty20 Internationals. Individual records (captains, players, umpires). Most matches as captain". ESPNcricinfo. Archived from the original on 11 September 2017. Retrieved 27 September 2017.
  39. ↑ "Final, ICC Women's World Cup at London, Jul 23 2017. Match Commentary". ESPNcricinfo. Archived from the original on 26 July 2017. Retrieved 27 September 2017.
  40. ↑ World Cup Final Archived 1 May 2018 at the Wayback Machine, BBC Sport, 23 July 2017.
  41. ↑ England v India: Women's World Cup final – live! Archived 23 July 2017 at the Wayback Machine, The Guardian, 23 July 2017.
  42. ↑ "Three Indian Women in ICC Teams". The Hindu. 21 December 2017. Archived from the original on 9 September 2021. Retrieved 21 December 2017.
  43. ↑ "Ellyse Perry declared ICC's Women's Cricketer of the Year". ESPNcricinfo. Archived from the original on 30 October 2019. Retrieved 21 December 2017.
  44. ↑ "Indian Women's Team for ICC Women's World Twenty20 announced". Board of Control for Cricket in India. Archived from the original on 28 September 2018. Retrieved 28 September 2018.
  45. ↑ "India Women bank on youth for WT20 campaign". International Cricket Council. Archived from the original on 28 September 2018. Retrieved 28 September 2018.
  46. ↑ "Mithali Raj retires from T20I cricket". ESPNcricinfo. Archived from the original on 3 September 2019. Retrieved 4 September 2019.
  47. ↑ "Mithali Raj is 'motivated' after Sachin Tendulkar shares throwback practice video". India Today. Ist. Archived from the original on 1 October 2019. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  48. ↑ "Virat Kohli, Kane Williamson, Steven Smith, Joe Root nominated for ICC men's cricketer of the decade award". ESPNcricinfo. Archived from the original on 1 December 2020. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  49. ↑ "ICC Awards of the Decade announced". International Cricket Council. Archived from the original on 20 January 2021. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  50. ↑ "India's Senior Women squad for the only Test match, ODI & T20I series against England announced". Board of Control for Cricket in India. Archived from the original on 9 June 2021. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  51. ↑ "Renuka Singh, Meghna Singh, Yastika Bhatia break into India's World Cup squad". ESPNcricinfo. Archived from the original on 6 January 2022. Retrieved 6 January 2022.
  52. ↑ "Mithali Raj retires from all forms of cricket after 23 years and 10,868 runs for India". India Today. 8 June 2022. Archived from the original on 8 June 2022. Retrieved 8 June 2022.
  53. ↑ Garg, Chitra (2010). Indian Champions: Profiles of Famous Indian Sportspersons. New Delhi, India: Rajpal & Sons. p. 158. ISBN 9788170288527.
  54. ↑ "The 34-year-old Padma Shri winner, who made her debut at the age of 16, has often been called the Sachin Tendulkar of Indian women's cricket". India Today. 13 July 2017. Archived from the original on 21 February 2020. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
  55. ↑ Express Web Desk (25 June 2017). "India vs England, ICC Women's World Cup 2017: Mithali Raj creates world record with 7th consecutive fifty". Archived from the original on 27 June 2017. Retrieved 3 July 2017.
  56. ↑ "Records. Women's One-Day Internationals. Batting records. Fifties in consecutive innings". ESPNcricinfo. Archived from the original on 19 July 2017. Retrieved 13 July 2017.
  57. ↑ "Records / Women's World Cup / Most runs". Archived from the original on 24 November 2015. Retrieved 15 July 2017.
  58. ↑ "Records. Women's One-Day Internationals. Individual records (captains, players, umpires). Most consecutive matches for a team". ESPNcricinfo. Archived from the original on 26 July 2017. Retrieved 26 July 2017.
  59. ↑ "Mithali Raj accuses coach Ramesh Powar of bias: He humiliated me". Archived from the original on 29 November 2018. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  60. ↑ "Mithali Raj accuses Diana Edulji of bias, claims 'people out to destroy me'". The Indian Express. 27 November 2018. Archived from the original on 29 November 2018. Retrieved 27 December 2018.
  61. ↑ "Mithali Raj threatened to retire if she couldn't open - Ramesh Powar". ESPNcricinfo. 28 November 2018. Archived from the original on 29 November 2018. Retrieved 27 December 2018.
  62. ↑ "Mithali Raj Accuses CoA Member Diana Edulji, Coach Ramesh Powar Of Bias". Outlook (India). Archived from the original on 3 September 2019. Retrieved 3 September 2019.
  63. ↑ "ab mithali ne 25 dot ball khele". NDTVIndia. Archived from the original on 29 November 2018. Retrieved 27 December 2018.
  64. ↑ "Mithali Raj terms Harmanpreet Kaur's decision to back coach's decision to bench me in the semi-final "hurtful". Cricket News". www.timesnownews.com. Archived from the original on 30 November 2018. Retrieved 27 December 2018.
  65. ↑ "Ramesh Powar Re-Appointed as Head Coach of Indian Women's Cricket team". Times of Sports. 14 May 2021. Archived from the original on 9 July 2021. Retrieved 6 July 2021.
  66. ↑ "List of Arjuna Awardees". Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India. Archived from the original on 25 December 2007. Retrieved 27 January 2015.
  67. ↑ "Padma Awards 2015". Press Information Bureau. Archived from the original on 28 January 2015. Retrieved 25 January 2015.
  68. ↑ "Conclave highlights need for holistic health". www.deccanchronicle.com. 24 September 2017. Archived from the original on 24 September 2017. Retrieved 24 September 2017.
  69. ↑ "Vogue celebrates 10th anniversary with 1st Vogue Women of the Year Awards". Everything Experiential. Archived from the original on 27 September 2017. Retrieved 27 September 2017.
  70. ↑ "Mithali Raj features on BBC's 100 Women list - Times of India". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 30 September 2017. Retrieved 27 September 2017.
  71. ↑ "National Sports Awards 2021: Neeraj Chopra, Lovlina Borgohain, Mithali Raj Among 9 Others to Get Khel Ratna". News18. 2 November 2021. Archived from the original on 3 November 2021. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
  72. ↑ "Records, Hobbies, Idols: 10 Things to Know About Mithali Raj". The Quint. 1 July 2017. Archived from the original on 7 March 2023. Retrieved 29 February 2020.
  73. ↑ "A biopic on Indian women's cricket team captain Mithali Raj in the works". The Indian Express. 26 September 2017. Archived from the original on 29 September 2017. Retrieved 29 September 2017.
  74. ↑ "Mithali Raj says Priyanka Chopra ideal choice for her biopic - Times of India". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 19 August 2018. Retrieved 12 July 2018.
  75. ↑ "Mithali Raj's biopic 'Shabaash Mithu' confirmed; Taapsee Pannu 'honoured' to portray cricketer's story". 3 December 2019. Archived from the original on 20 October 2021. Retrieved 12 January 2020.
  76. ↑ "Just in! Director Srijit Mukherji has replaced Rahul Dholakia as the director of Taapsee Pannu-starrer 'Shabaash Mithu'". The Times of India. 22 June 2021. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
  77. ↑ "Taapsee Pannu starring Shabaash Mithu releases on the big screen on July 15, 2022". Bollywood Hungama. Archived from the original on 9 June 2022. Retrieved 8 June 2022.
  78. ↑ "Shabaash Mithu Box Office Collection. India. Day Wise. Box Office". Bollywood Hungama. Archived from the original on 11 August 2022. Retrieved 9 August 2022.
  79. ↑ "Shabaash Mithu box office collection Day 7: Taapsee Pannu's film performs poorly". India Today. Archived from the original on 9 August 2022. Retrieved 9 August 2022.

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