The world of cricket has been largely popular due to its male figure. But have you ever wondered about the achievements that women have made in cricket. If yes then we will get a glimpse of the same. Here, we are going to talk about Mithali Raj, a popular cricket icon who broke the barrier of traditional male sport. Therefore, the blog is going to talk about her career, achievements, age, family, etc.
Mithali Raj Biography
Mithali Raj is a prominent cricket figure, who has been nicknamed ‘The Lady Sachin Tendulkar of India’. She was given this nickname due to her achievements in Women’s cricket. She has been the opening batswoman for the Indian Women’s team. Back then Mithali was also a former captain of the Indian Women’s ODI cricket team. Raj has scored the most runs in the Women’s ODI in cricket history. Aside from this, she has been the only women cricketer to surpass the 6,000-run mark, in Women’s One Day International cricket.
Mithali Raj Age
Born on December 3, 1982, as of the year 2024 Mithali Raj age is 41 years old. Her zodiac sign is Sagittarius and she belongs from Jodhpur, Rajasthan.
Physical Appearance
Cricketer by profession Raj has a height of 5 feet 4 inches, when calculated in metres and centimeters turns out 1.63m and 163 cm respectively. She has black curly hair and black eyes.
Education
Mithali attended the Smapath Kumar’s Girl’s Cricket Sports Glory Club, and at the age of 9, she broke the record for the youngest player to represent the state in a sub-junior tournament. After this, she made her ODI debut at the age of 16 and scored an unbeaten 114. This made her secure the position of India’s battling talisman. Apart from being passionate about cricket she also has a found interest in Bharatnatyam.
Family
Raj was born to Dorai Raj and Leela Raj in Rajasthan. Her father is a Tamilian who served in the Indian Air Force as an Airman Warrant Officer while her mother worked for Lawerence and Mayo’s Engineering Instruments division. Later on, Dorai moved to join Andhra Bank and was posted on the Secunderabad Branch. Mithali Raj grew alongside her brother Mr. Mithun.
Mithali Raj Husband
Raj is yet single at the age of 41, and she has disclosed about the beginning a new phase of life after her retirement. The former Indian captain announced her retirement on June 8, 2022. In an interview with Mid-Day in 2018, she stated that she is content with being single and does not want to marry.
Career
Raj began as a representative in domestic cricket and later broke out as a star. She debuted internationally in June 1999 and her most recent competition was in the Women’s World against South Africa. Over a period of 23 years in her career, Mithali established and surpassed numerous records and reached multiple milestones. Raj has been a part of the national sports scene for over 15 years. In her last match at County Ground, she achieved a score of 214 runs against England, surpassing the old record of 209 runs. Mithali Raj was fueled by the World Cup setback, becoming stronger and more determined, but was unfortunately sidelined by typhoid during the 2000 edition when her opportunity arose.
However, she compensated for it by leading India to the finals of the 2005 edition, which remains the team’s top performance in the main competition so far. Despite not winning the cup, Raj has achieved impressive statistics and numerous groundbreaking milestones that have solidified her as a prominent figure in women’s sports.
Raj saw a remarkable increase in her career in the T20I format after being pushed to start by her ex-teammate and subsequent coach Rau. Since that time she has become just as important to India’s middle order in 50-over cricket as she is to the opening position. Following Charlotte Edwards, Raj has appeared in more one-day internationals (ODIs) than any other player. During India’s World Cup match against Australia, Raj surpassed Edwards’ record by scoring a single in the 29th over while also becoming the third female player to captain her nation in over 100 ODIs. She holds the record for achieving 49 half-centuries in the 50-over format, with seven of them being consecutive.
Controversies
There are multiple controversies surrounding Raj, mentioned here is the most popular one.
India, the top pick for winning the World T20 trophy, went up against England in the crucial semi-final match. Mithali Raj, one of the top scorers in the series, was a definite choice in the playing 11 before the captains tossed the coin. Nevertheless, the India T20 captain Harmanpreet Kaur has disclosed that Mithali Raj was left out for the crucial game. India was dismissed for a meager 112 by a strong England bowling unit. England easily reached the goal and won with 8 wickets to spare. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur stated that she does not have any remorse. During the post-game presentation, when questioned about Mithali Raj’s exclusion, India’s T20 captain Harmanpreet replied ‘We made team decisions for the team.’ Sometimes it succeeds and sometimes it fails, with no remorse. My daughters performed admirably during the competition and I am proud of their efforts.
Net Worth
The estimated net worth of Raj is Rs. 22 crore which is equivalent to $3 Million in USD. Her salary per year is around 30 LPA, and per test, the match is that of 4.6 lakh INR. When it comes to playing ODI matches she is paid 3.2 lakhs.