an Army background with discipline instilled in her core. She was also a maestro at the popular cultural dance “Bharatnatyam” which contributed to the grace and power she exuded on field. At a tender age of 16, she made history by scoring 114 runs at her debut ODI match, gaining recognition and appreciation as the lynchpin of Indian batting. Her stance and ability to anchor the game were the two reasons why she flourished as an excellent sportsperson. In the year 2002, she scored the highest Test score of 214 runs and shone through with 91 at the 2005 ODI world cup.
The year 2017 was indeed a milestone in her journey as she surpassed former England Captain Charlotte Edwards to become the cricketer with the highest runs in the ODI format, and the first woman to score 6000 runs in this format of cricket. She also became the first woman to complete two decades in ODI cricket in the year 2019.
In addition to these remarkable achievements that created waves in the world of cricket, Raj also has more feats to pride herself over. She is the only Indian cricket captain, to have led the team to the finals of two ODI world cups. Her dream to attain the cup for ODI compelled her to bow down from T20 cricket in the year 2019, allowing her to streamline her focus into achieving her goal.
A Bollywood biopic starring famous actress Taapsee Pannu titled “Shabaash Mithu” is in the works in order to honour the achievements of Raj.
Mithali Raj isn’t just the name of a great cricketer, but an inspiration to many talented, skilled and gifted women who are restricted within the confines of boundaries placed by those around them. She is an epitome of grace and power and an example to follow – a constant reminder that you are allowed to shatter any glass ceilings that come in the way of your dreams and aspirations.
