33 Facts About Mithali Raj

Mithali Dorai Raj was born on 3 December 1982 and is an Indian cricketer and former captain of the India women's national cricket team from 2004 to 2022.

Mithali Raj is the recipient of several national and international awards, including the Wisden Leading Woman Cricketer in the World in 2017, Arjuna Award in 2003, the Padma Shri in 2015, and Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna in 2021.

Mithali Raj is the only female cricketer to surpass the 7,000-run mark in Women's One Day International matches.

Mithali Raj is the first player to score seven consecutive 50s in ODIs.

Mithali Raj holds the record for most half-centuries in WODIs.

Mithali Raj is the only female player to have captained India in more than one ICC ODI World Cup final, doing so twice in 2005 and 2017.

On 1 February 2019, during India's series against New Zealand Women, Mithali Raj became the first woman to play in 200 ODI matches.

In July 2021, Mithali Raj broke Charlotte Edwards' record of 10,273 runs to become the player with the most runs in women's international cricket.

On 8 June 2022, Mithali Raj announced her retirement from all formats of international cricket.

Mithali Raj was born on 3 December 1982, in Jodhpur, Rajasthan.

Mithali Raj's mother is Leela Raj, and her father, Dorai Raj, was a warrant officer in the Indian Air Force.

Mithali Raj did her intermediate schooling at Keyes High School for Girls in Hyderabad and Kasturba Gandhi Junior College for Women in Secunderabad.

Mithali Raj began receiving cricket coaching in elementary school, alongside her older brother.

Mithali Raj played for Air India alongside Purnima Rau, Anjum Chopra, and Anju Jain before joining Railways for the domestic championship.

Mithali Raj has played for the Supernovas and Velocity in the Women's T20 Challenge.

Mithali Raj has played all three of India's cricket formats: Test, ODI, and T20.

Mithali Raj was named among the probables for the 1997 Women's Cricket World Cup when she was fourteen, but did not make it to the final squad.

Mithali Raj made her ODI debut in 1999 against Ireland at Milton Keynes and scored an unbeaten 114 runs.

Mithali Raj led India to their first finals in 2005 Women's Cricket World Cup, in South Africa, where they lost to Australia.

Mithali Raj was the winner of the Arjuna award for 2003.

At the 2013 Women's World Cup, Mithali Raj was the number 1 woman ODI cricketer.

Mithali Raj is the first player to captain most matches for India in ODI and T20I.

Mithali Raj led the Indian team to the final of the 2017 Women's Cricket World Cup where the team lost to England by nine runs.

Mithali Raj retired from T20I cricket in September 2019, saying in a BCCI press statement: "After representing India in T20 internationals since 2006, I wish to retire from T20Is to focus my energies on readying myself for the 2021 one-day World Cup".

In November 2020, Mithali Raj 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.

On 8 June 2022, Mithali Raj announced her retirement from all formats of International cricket.

Mithali Raj was appointed batting consultant for India women's national cricket team, and has played as a player-coach.

Mithali Raj was involved in controversy with cricket management due to her attitude towards the game during the 2018 ICC Women's World Twenty20.

Mithali Raj accused the coach Ramesh Powar and BCCI COA member Diana Edulji in a letter to the BCCI of bias, and of humiliating her by not including her in the T20 world cup semifinals.

Powar, in turn, criticized Mithali Raj for threatening to retire from cricket when asked to play down the batting order.

Mithali Raj accused Mithali of 'blackmailing and pressuring coaches' apart from causing division in the team during the recently concluded World T20.

Mithali Raj ignored her role and batted for own milestones.

Mithali Raj said, "Hoping that this movie inspires more people, especially young girls to take up sports as a career".