Mithali Raj is regarded as one of the finest cricketers in the history of women’s cricket in India. She was born on December 3, 1982, in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, and is known for her stylish batting and great captaincy. Mithali made her international debut in 1999 and quickly became the lynchpin of the Indian team.
She is the leading run-scorer in women’s One Day Internationals and is frequently referred to as the “Queen of Indian Cricket.” Under her captaincy, India reached the finals of two World Cups. Her hard work, discipline, and accomplishments have been an inspiration for a generation of young girls to play cricket in India.
As the face of Indian women’s cricket for over 20 years, Mithali Raj is considered by many to be among the best female cricket players in history. She has been a trailblazer, leading India to multiple World Cup finals and setting numerous batting records. She is known as the “Lady Tendulkar of Indian Women’s Cricket.”
During her 1999–2022 career, Mithali revolutionised women’s cricket in India and encouraged a great number of girls to play the game. She became one of the most renowned people in cricket because of her elegant batting, unparalleled consistency, and composed leadership. Beyond records and honours, Mithali’s journey exemplifies tenacity, zeal, and commitment, demonstrating that women’s cricket merits the same respect and fame as men’s cricket.
Biography of Mithali Raj
- Real Name: Mithali Dorai Raj
- Full Name: Mithali Dorai Raj
- Nickname: Lady Tendulkar of Indian Women’s Cricket
- Profession: Cricketer (Right-handed batter)
- Famous for: Being the highest run-scorer in women’s international cricket and leading India in multiple World Cups
- Best Performance: 114* against Ireland in her ODI debut (1999)
- Salary: Approx. ₹50–60 lakhs annually (from BCCI contracts and endorsements, before retirement)
- Monthly Income: Estimated ₹5–6 lakhs (varies with endorsements/events)
- Website URL: N/A
- Instagram Handle: @mithaliraj
Physical Status
- Height: 5 feet 4 inches (163 cm)
- Weight: 55 kg (approx.)
- Body Measurements: 34-28-34
- Eye Colour: Black
- Hair Colour: Black
Personal Life
- Date of Birth: December 3, 1982
- Place Of Birth: Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India
- Nationality: Indian
- Hometown: Hyderabad, Telangana
- School: Keyes High School for Girls, Secunderabad
- College: Kasturba Gandhi Junior College for Women, Secunderabad
- Highest Education Qualification: Intermediate
Family Statistics:
- Marital Status: Unmarried
- Wife: N/A
- Children: N/A
- Parents: Dorai Raj (Airman in Indian Air Force), Leela Raj (worked with Engineering Instruments)
- Siblings: One elder brother, Mithun Raj
- Religion: Hindu
- Other Hobbies: Reading books, dancing (trained Bharatanatyam dancer)
Early Life of Mithali Raj:
Mithali Raj was born on December 3, 1982, into a Tamil family in Jodhpur, Rajasthan. Her mother is Leela Raj, a housewife, while her father is Dorai Raj, an Air Force officer. Ironically, cricket hadn’t even touched her life when she first learned some classical dancing, especially Bharatanatyam.
At the tender age of ten, Mithali realized her batting talent and began accompanying her brother to cricket coaching classes. Her coaches immediately recognized it. She had been brought up in a military-style upbringing that instilled within her the values of perseverance, hard work, and concentration. And these would make Mithali one of the most successful captains and players in women’s cricket history.
Education of Mithali Raj:
Mithali Raj moved to Kasturba Gandhi Jr. College for Women after completing her education at Keyes High School for Girls in Secunderabad. Education, though playing an important role in most formative years, had to take a back seat as it came with a serious cricketing mood. It was quite difficult for Mithali to juggle education and cricket together, though she had fun on the ground, making this her priority. Her family prioritized her athletic career, ensuring she had all the necessary resources to play cricket full-time.
According to conventional wisdom, there was no need to go to college, and she was a role model for other cricketers as she was, in reality, mature, experienced, and practically led her side on the ground. Education equipped her with discipline and perseverance, qualities that were indeed evident throughout her schooling and athletic career.
Mithali Raj: Cricket Journey
When Mithali joined St. John’s Coaching Academy in Hyderabad at an early age, this officially began her cricketing career: that of actually being selected into the Indian national side when she was all of 16 years old. With that trimmed, it announced her entry onto the world stage with a debut century.
For those years, Mithali became the person who came to symbolize Indian women’s cricket, as a reliable batter and inspirational leader. She would make history for women in India by taking the country to the finals of the Women’s World Cups in 2005 and 2017. However, it was not just for her own benefit, but also to create a platform and visibility for the game within a cricket-mad country.
Journey through the IPL and Domestic
Mithali Raj was already one of the most important names in the domestic cricket scene before the inception of the Women’s Premier League (WPL). She was in the Railways Women’s Cricket Team, where she became the idol of many younger cricketers and won numerous local competitions.
Domestic achievement ensured that consistency was maintained, also at the international level, and guaranteed a well-constructed stream of success. Mithali also captained Velocity in the Women’s T20 Challenge, the precursor to the official WPL. Although she did not participate in the WPL, her contribution to the tournament development was obvious, as was her earlier impressive domestic and T20 Challenge performance.
International Career of Mithali Raj:
Mithali Raj is well known as one of the longest-serving players in history, serving her country from 1999 until 2022. At just sixteen years old, she achieved the first historic ODI wicket, scoring 114 runs in an international match against Pakistan. Mithali holds the prestigious position of the top scorer in the Women’s ODI.
With a whopping score of nearly 7,800 runs, inclusive of seven centuries and sixty-four half-centuries, she has played such an instrumental role in India’s campaigns undertaken in many ICC Women’s World Cups. Mithali played captain to India in all three formats of the game, which showed quite a strategic mastery as well as composure under pressure. Hence, her career is that of leadership, grit, and consistency, which make her among the best representations of Indian cricket on the international turf.
Injuries and Comebacks of Mithali Raj:
Mithali Raj, like any long-serving athlete, was subject to injury and tested by long suffering. Most of the significant competitions early in her budding career, she missed because of health problems, most notably typhoid. However, with her perseverance, she always bounced back wonderfully.
Later in her thirties, she had trouble with recurrent injuries to her knees. Still, despite all these troubles, Mithali stayed in impeccable shape through dedication and persistence, allowing her to continue performing well for 20 years or more. Another excellent example of her injury recovery is her resilient willpower in not being deprived of playing for India at the top level.
Personal Life of Mithali Raj:
Mithali Raj’s personal life has always been synonymous with being quiet, reserved, and composed. He, however, remained a private person for years in the false limelight of others. Like most players, Mithali is single and has also mentioned in interviews that the first love of her life is cricket. She is very closely bound to her parents, who have been really appreciated for the sacrifices they made in shaping her career.
Apart from cricket, Mithali loves to read about leadership and philosophy during her free time, while her dance passion was her first love, which later went into singing and acting. She has also switched to active participation in advocating for women’s cricket by using her platform to fight for equal rights and better facilities for female cricketers, internationally, and in India.
Career statistics of Mithali Raj:
Test debut:
On January 14, 2002, at Lucknow, Mithali Raj made her Test debut against England. Unlike the modern-day era of women’s cricket, in which aggressive action batters are ruled, Mithali personified patience and an old-fashioned batting style. Mithali’s ability to slow down an inning, under pressure, either by herself or jointly, was a strength imparted to the Indian batting lineup. Even if a record double century in 2002 was considered the highest individual score in women’s Tests for a good number of years, Mithali’s Double was one to remember.
ODI debut:
Mithali Raj made her One-Day International debut at Milton Keynes on June 26, 1999, against Ireland by scoring an audacious 114 not out. It was this inning that immediately cast her perspective and skill in composure at the crease brightly in contrast to her contemporaries. For several years thereafter, Mithali became a wall for the Indian batting in ODIs, accumulating more than 7,800 runs in women’s cricket, somewhat higher than anyone else. A super reliable hitter in ODIs so far, thanks to her leadership, consistent display of form, and ability to deliver under pressure: this is what Mithali has been.
T20I debut:
Mithali Raj came into existence on August 5, 2006, in Derby against England in a T20I. The shortest format of the game is something Mithali expertly moulded herself into, and she is recognised more for her classical stroke-play than her power striking. Mithali swiftly became one of the most trusted hitters in India and was a veteran during the early years of the format, becoming the first in T20Is to score over 2,300 runs. A notable asset in consistency was that she opened almost all the innings for India.
IPL debut:
While Mithali has never been part of IPL for men, she participated in the Women’s T20 Challenge, which was essentially an experiment preceding the Women’s Premier League (WPL). Her contribution has been primarily in marking during the tournament’s early years, with a significant presence in mentorship.
Mithali has also been an important advocate for women’s franchise cricket in India, notably through her involvement in the Women’s T20 Challenge and her role as an inspiration to young women cricketers, despite not playing in the more prestigious WPL, which commenced after her retirement.
Achievements of Mithali Raj:
- Mithali remains at the top-most among the achievers of ODI runs in women’s history, amassing over 7800 runs that no other batter has ever surpassed.
- She stands as the only female cricketer to have hit seven half-centuries in a row in ODIs, a true reflection of her reliability and calmness for being so extraordinary.
- World Cup captaincy: Mithali came under the spotlight in international attention regarding Indian women’s cricket as India’s captain, leading the country to two ICC Women’s World Cup finals in 2005 and 2017.
- Awards and honors: For her all-around performance, she has been awarded the Arjuna Award (2003), Padma Shri (2015), and Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award (2021).
- Trailblazer: Mithali is a true pioneer of Indian women’s cricket because, with her longevity, consistency, and leadership, she cleared the path for future generations.
Here are Some of the Lesser-Known Facts about Mithali Raj:
- Mithali practiced Bharatanatyam before turning to cricket.
- At age 16, Mithali became the youngest woman to score a century on her first ODI.
- A voracious reader, Mithali travels with books most of the time.
- Her batting skills endowed Mithali with one of the dearest nicknames in Indian cricket: “the Lady Tendulkar” of Indian cricket.
- Mithali is also an employee of the Indian Railways while practicing her sport.
- In June 2022, she announced her retirement from international cricket after a glorious career extending over 23 years.
- The film “Shabaash Mithu,” featuring Taapsee Pannu in the lead, captures her life.
Mithali Raj’s career has been a chronicle of trailblazing women’s cricket in India, beyond statistics and records. From humble beginnings in Jodhpur to standing tall as the top run-getter in women’s ODIs, her journey signifies perseverance, discipline, and dedication. Not only did she break the stereotype, but she also inspired several generations of young girls to follow their dreams into cricket. Post-retirement, too, she has remained a voice for women in sports. As one of the greatest ambassadors of cricket, her testimony shall remain etched in history as the marquee of passion and perseverance towards a sport.
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