Mithali Raj‘s international career has come to an end, which also ends an era in women’s cricket. The former Indian captain announced her retirement on her social media platforms on Wednesday (June 8). She sent a touching statement thanking BCCI authorities and her colleagues for their unwavering support throughout her career. Mithali holds the distinction of being the highest run-scorer in women’s cricket, and she is expected to remain at the top for some time.
The right-handed batter had her international debut in 1999 and quickly established herself as an important member of the Indian squad. As the Women in Blue managed to rack up countless memorable triumphs over the years, she delivered one stunning knock after another. The 39-year-old accepted all challenges that came her way, whether it was anchoring the innings in the middle overs or scoring rapid runs at the finish.
In addition to her battle prowess, the battling great demonstrated her leadership abilities. Mithali gave international opportunities to the likes of Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur, who went on to become a formidable force in world cricket. Meanwhile, over her 22-year career, the batting talisman set and broke several notable records.
Mithali Raj: Career Statistics
- Mithali Raj concluded her career as the best run-scorer in women’s one-day internationals with 7805 runs.
- She has the most fifty-plus scores of any batter in women’s ODIs, with 71.
- Mithali completed the Women’s ODI World Cup with a total of 1321 runs. On the overall list, she is ranked second.
- In Women’s One-Day Internationals, she has the most centuries (7) of any Indian player.
- Mithali Kumar, who last played a T20I in 2019, is still India’s most run-scorer in women’s T20Is with 2364 runs.
- Mithali Raj is the only batter in women’s cricket history to achieve over 10,000 runs.
Mithali Raj is the only female cricketer to have played in all six editions of the Women’s ODI World Cup.
- Her 214 against England in 2002 is the second-best individual score in women’s Test cricket.
- Mithali remains the youngest batter to score a century in women’s ODIs at 16 years and 205 days.
- She holds the record for the longest career in women’s cricket at 22 years and 274 days.
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