Mithali Raj: O Captain! My Captain!
Representing the nation, becoming the captain of the Indian women’s cricket team, victories outside India, scoring the most runs in women’s cricket, and leading India in two World Cup finals – all of these are some of feathers decorating Mithali Raj’s hat, who is one of the most celebrated cricketers to play for India.
At 16, she debuted for India in an ODI, scoring an unbeaten 114. In the years to come, she established herself as the linchpin of the Indian women’s cricket team right until her retirement in 2021. But her 10,377 runs across all three formats, places her on the pantheon of the greatest ever to have played the game.
When Raj started playing cricket, there were very few women cricketers to look up to. “Not many people were aware of the existence of the Indian women’s cricket team in our country,” she says.
But Raj’s father stuck by her and was her biggest support. “It was his decision that I should pursue this sport as a profession back then when there was nothing in women’s cricket,” she adds.
Women’s cricket at the time was hardly ideal considering odd schedules and long breaks between international series, which would mean that the team would lose all momentum built during a particular series. Mithali Raj also grappled the demons of injuries for a long while which made her strongly ponder on retirement. “There were times when the pain was just too much. It was not just on the cricket field. I found it difficult to perform my daily chores,” she recollects.
Like all champions, Raj got smarter and learnt to manage her injuries and training setup. Around this time, Indian women’s cricket team’s matches were beginning to be telecasted and Raj saw the joy it gave to her father to watch her bat on TV. This rejuvenated Raj’s determination to carry on with her cricketing journey. “From there, I came to a point where I achieved my peak fitness. I really worked hard on my fitness, and it helped me add a few more years to my playing career,” she says.
But the former Indian captain feels women’s cricket is starting to progress in the right direction. “The number of matches played by the Indian women’s team has increased. The central contracts with BCCI are in place. There are different women’s T20 leagues taking place across the globe with the Women’s Premier League set to begin shortly. All these positive initiatives are pushing women’s cricket to newer heights,” Raj says.
She adds that it has been satisfying to witness the growth of women’s cricket in recent years.
Mithali Raj will soon be seen in a new role as a Mentor for Gujarat Giants in the inaugural Women’s Premier League.
