Mithali Raj is an Indian cricketer and former captain of the Indian women’s cricket team. She was born on December 3, 1982, in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India. Mithali Raj is considered one of the greatest female cricketers of all time and is regarded as a pioneer of women’s cricket in India.
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Mithali Raj has set numerous records in international cricket. Among them, she is the sole female cricketer to surpass the 7,000-run milestone in Women’s One Day International matches. She holds the distinction of being the first player to score seven consecutive 50s in ODIs and also has the record for the most half-centuries in WODIs.
In 2005, Mithali was appointed as the permanent captain of the Indian women’s cricket team. She has led the team in multiple ICC ODI World Cup finals, a feat that no other female player has achieved for India. Mithali has captained India twice in the ICC ODI World Cup finals, first in 2005 and then in 2017.
During the 2018 Women’s Twenty20 Asia Cup held in June, Mithali etched her name in the record books by becoming the first Indian player to amass 2000 runs in T20Is. She also became the first female cricketer to achieve the feat of scoring 2000 runs in WT20Is.
Profile Summary
| Full Name | Mithali Dorai Raj |
| Born | December 03, 1982 |
| Place of Birth | Jodhpur, Rajasthan |
| Age | 39 |
| Parents(s) | Father: Dorai RajMother: Leela Raj |
| Batting Style | Right-hand bat |
| Bowling Style | Legbreak |
| Playing Role | Top-order batter |
| Teams | Air India Women, Asia Women XI, India Blue Women, India Women logo, India Women, Velocity |
Background
Born on December 3, 1982, in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, Mithali Raj’s father, Dorai Raj, was an Indian Air Force warrant officer, and her mother’s name is Leela Raj. Mithali currently resides in Hyderabad, Telangana.
Her cricket journey started at the age of ten, and she received her elementary schooling coaching alongside her older brother. Mithali completed her intermediate schooling at Keyes High School for Girls in Hyderabad and Kasturba Gandhi Junior College for Women in Secunderabad.
Domestic career
Before joining Railways for the domestic championship, Mithali was part of Air India’s team, which included Purnima Rau, Anjum Chopra, and Anju Jain. In addition, she has also played for the Supernovas and Velocity teams in the Women’s T20 Challenge.
International career
Mithali has played all three formats of cricket for India: Test, ODI, and T20. Although she was named among the probable for the 1997 Women’s Cricket World Cup at the age of fourteen, she did not make it to the final squad. She made her ODI debut in 1999 against Ireland in Milton Keynes, scoring an unbeaten 114 runs. Her Test debut came in the 2001-02 season against South Africa in Lucknow.
During her third Test match on August 17, 2002, at the age of 19, Mithali broke Karen Rolton’s world record for the highest individual test score of 209* by scoring 214 against England in the second and final test at County Ground, Taunton. This record was later surpassed by Kiran Baluch of Pakistan, who scored 242 against the West Indies in March 2004.
In 2005, Mithali led India to their first-ever finals in the Women’s Cricket World Cup in South Africa, where they lost to Australia.
In August 2006, she captained the Indian team to their first Test and series victory in England, and later that year, she successfully defended the Asia Cup title without losing a single game.
Mithali was the recipient of the Arjuna Award in 2003.
At the 2013 Women’s World Cup, she was ranked as the number one woman ODI cricketer. Throughout her career, she has scored one century and four fifties in Test cricket, five centuries and five fifties in ODIs, and has recorded her best bowling figures of 3-4 in ODIs, along with ten fifties in T20s.
Mithali achieved several significant milestones throughout her career. In February 2017, she became the second player to score 5,500 runs in ODIs. She also holds the distinction of captaining the most matches for India in both ODI and T20I formats.
In July 2017, she became the first player to score 6,000 runs in WODIs. Under her leadership, the Indian team reached the final of the 2017 Women’s Cricket World Cup, where they lost to England by nine runs.
In December 2017, she was named in the ICC Women’s ODI Team of the Year. Mithali was also part of India’s squad for the 2018 ICC Women’s World Twenty20 tournament in the West Indies.
However, in September 2019, she announced her retirement from T20I cricket to focus on preparing for the 2021 one-day World Cup.
Mithali was nominated for several awards in recognition of her impressive career. In November 2020, she 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.
In May 2021, she was named captain of India’s Test squad for their one-off match against the England women’s cricket team. The following year, in January 2022, she was named captain of India’s team for the 2022 Women’s Cricket World Cup in New Zealand.
However, on June 8, 2022, Mithali announced her retirement from all formats of international cricket, marking the end of an illustrious career.
Coaching career
Mithali, who has also served as a player-coach, has been named the batting consultant for India’s women’s national cricket team.
Awards
| Year | Award |
| 2021 | Khel Ratna Award |
| 2017 | Wisden Leading Woman Cricketer in the World |
| 2017 | BBC’s 100 most inspirational women list |
| 2017 | Vogue Sportsperson of the Year |
| 2017 | Youth Sports Icon of Excellence Award |
| 2015 | Padma Shri |
| 2003 | Arjuna Award |
Who is Mithali Raj?
Mithali Raj is a former Indian cricketer who is widely considered to be one of the greatest female cricketers of all time. She was born on December 3, 1982, in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India. Mithali is a right-handed batter and is known for her impeccable technique and ability to score runs consistently.
She has represented the Indian women’s cricket team in international cricket for over two decades, and during her career, she has set numerous records and achieved many milestones. Mithali is the leading run-scorer in women’s international cricket and has played in all three formats of the game – Test, ODI, and T20I. She has also captained the Indian team in both ODI and T20I formats.
Does She Have a husband?
Mithali Raj, who is a 41-year-old former cricketer, has not entered into matrimony yet. She was born in Jodhpur in 1982 and hails from a Tamilian family.
