Mithali Raj, the first true superstar of Indian women\u2019s cricket, shattered barriers and inspired generations, transforming the women\u2019s game in India forever.<\/p>\n
Across a storied international career spanning 23 years, Mithali Raj represented India 333 times across formats, scoring a mammoth 10868 runs – still the most by any player in women\u2019s international cricket<\/a>.<\/p>\n To draw context, only two others – New Zealand\u2019s Suzie Bates and England\u2019s Charlotte Edwards – have scored over 10000 runs in women\u2019s cricket.<\/p>\n Mithali\u2019s leadership was as commanding as her batting and she is the first and only captain – across men\u2019s or women\u2019s cricket – to lead India to two ICC World Cup finals.<\/p>\n Born on December 3, 1982, in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, Mithali Raj grew up in Secunderabad, Telangana, where her journey in cricket began almost by accident.<\/p>\n Her father, Dorai Raj, an Indian Air Force officer, would take Mithali to her brother\u2019s cricket training sessions to ensure she woke up early and stayed disciplined.<\/p>\n Initially indifferent to the sport, Mithali soon picked up the bat and showed an extraordinary natural talent.<\/p>\n Her early training was guided by coach Jyothi Prasad, who spotted her penchant for the sport, and later by Sampath Kumar, a strict mentor who shaped her into one of the most technically sound batters in the world.<\/p>\n Mithali Raj\u2019s cricket career<\/p>\n Mithali\u2019s rise was rapid. She was selected for the Andhra Pradesh state team at 13 and made her India debut at 16, scoring an unbeaten 114 in her ODI debut against Ireland at Milton Keynes in 1999.<\/p>\n She made her Test debut against England at Lucknow in 2002 and was dismissed for a duck. However, she scored her maiden red ball half century against South Africa in her second outing.<\/p>\n Her third Test, again against England at Taunton, saw Mithali etch her name into the history books.<\/p>\n In August 2002, at the Country Ground, Mithali scored 214 runs against England, breaking Australia\u2019s Karen Rolton\u2019s world record for the highest individual score in women\u2019s Test cricket at the time.<\/p>\n Though the record was later broken by Pakistan\u2019s Kiran Baluch, who scored 242 against the West Indies two years later, Mithali\u2019s innings against England is still the second-highest score in the format.<\/p>\n Mithali played only 12 Test matches in her career and scored 699 runs at an average of over 40.<\/p>\n Just 19 years and 254 days old at the time, Mithali is still the youngest double centurion in women\u2019s Test cricket.<\/p>\n However, it was Mithali\u2019s consistency in ODIs which propelled her to legendary status.<\/p>\n Mithali became the highest run-scorer in women\u2019s ODIs with 7805 runs at an average of 50.68, a record that still stands. She has 64 fifties in the format – more than anyone else.<\/p>\n She also remains the only woman to have scored seven consecutive ODI fifties.<\/p>\n The Indian ace also marked her presence in women\u2019s T20I cricket. She represented India 89 times in the shortest format and accumulated 2364 runs at an average of 37.52 before stepping away from the format in 2019.<\/p>\n She is the third-fastest player to log 2000-plus runs in the shortest format, only after Beth Mooney and Stafanie Taylor. Mithali is also the first woman and Indian – male or female – to reach the 2000-run milestone in T20I cricket.<\/p>\n Mithali Raj\u2019s captaincy and milestones<\/p>\n