Mithali Raj – a name and a body of work that became synonymous with women’s cricket in India. Her flair, batting prowess, and leadership propelled the Indian women's cricket team from a side with a remote possibility of winning the World Cup to a serious contender.
On Wednesday (June 08), Mithali bid adieu to all forms of international cricket. The 39-year-old cricketer took to social media to confirm that she would no longer represent India. However, she declared that she will stay in the game to help build women's cricket in India and around the world.
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After the announcement was made, tributes started to pour in from all parts of the world to congratulate her on her 23-year-long illustrious career. Jhulan Goswami, the legendary batter’s long-time teammate and friend, was one of the many who wished her well on her retirement.
"We overcame odds, both in life & on the cricket field, ever since we started playing U19 cricket. Your affection & support as a colleague & captain always inspired and pushed me towards achieving greater heights. You were outstanding both on and off the field. @M_Raj03 @BCCIWomen," Goswami wrote on Twitter.
“I will forever cherish bowling to you in domestic matches and at nets. I enjoyed every match we played together and every celebration we had after winning matches. I congratulate you for your brilliant career and thank you for contribution to women's cricket. @M_Raj03 @BCCIWomen,” she further said.
“I wish you success in all your future endeavours. You are a Real Hero for all aspiring woman cricketers in India. All the best and may you continue to inspire and shine. @M_Raj03 @BCCIWomen,” she added.
Here are the tweets:
Raj retires as the all-time leading run-scorer in the 50-over format, with 7,805 runs at a staggering 50.68 apiece in 211 innings. Her 64 half-centuries and seven centuries are unrivaled. Her ability to convert between formats with ease, as evidenced by her aggregate of 699 runs in 12 Tests at an average of 43.7, made her the match-winner she became.
In 155 ODIs as captain, the 39-year-old has 89 wins, the highest for any player in women's ODIs. Her 155 ODI appearances as a skipper are also the most in women's ODI history.
She showed a billion Indians what was possible by setting and breaking so many records throughout the course of her stellar career, which inspired so many girls to take up cricket as a career.
