Mithali Raj retired from international cricket on Wednesday, bringing an end to an era in Indian cricket during which she set several records and established herself as one of the game’s all-time greats. Mithali has led the Indian side in at least one format since 2005, having made her international debut in June 1999.
In this article, we will take a look at the cricketer’s achievements.
1. Highest runs in International cricket
Mithali Raj quits with a total of 10,868 runs, the greatest by any player in women’s international cricket. Mithali broke the previous record of 10,273 set by former England captain Charlotte Edwards during India’s three-match ODI series in the nation in July 2021. Only Mithali and Edwards have scored over 10,000 runs in international cricket.
2. Highest run-scorer in women’s ODIs from India
Mithali has 7805 runs in women’s One-Day Internationals (ODIs), the format in which she has played the most. This puts her significantly ahead of the rest of the players on the list of ODI cricket’s all-time leading run-scorers. Edwards is in second place with 5992 runs, while Stafanie Taylor of the West Indies is the leading current cricketer with 5298 runs.
3. Highest run-scorer in women’s T20s from India
Mithali leaves the game as India’s all-time leading run-scorer in the shortest format. Unlike her overall and ODI records in international cricket, Harmanpreet Kaur’s T20I record might be exceeded shortly. Harmanpreet has 2319 runs, while Mithali has 2364.
4. Mithali played the highest ODI Matches as a skipper
Mithali has led India in 155 One-Day Internationals, the most by any female cricketer in history. Edwards is ranked second on the list, having captained England in 117 games, while Belinda Clark of Australia is third with 101 games.
5. Youngest player to score a 200 in Tests
Mithali became the youngest double centurion in women’s cricket when she got her first double-century in red-ball cricket at the age of 19. In Taunton, she helped India draw the match with a 214-off-407-ball performance.
Mithali Raj’s records
Mithali is known as the “Lady Tendulkar of Indian Women’s Cricket” since she is India’s all-time highest run-scorer across all forms, including Tests, ODIs, and T20Is. Raj achieved her seventh successive half-century at the 2017 Women’s Cricket World Cup, setting a new record for the most consecutive fifties by a player.
Awards received by Mithali Raj
2003: Arjuna Award
2015: Padma Shri award
2017: Youth Sports Icon of Excellence Award
2017: Vogue Sportsperson of the Year
2017: BBC 100 Women
2017: Wisden Leading Woman Cricketer in the World
2021: Khel Ratna Award
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