Former India women’s cricket team captain Mithali Raj felt overwhelmed after receiving “thoughtfully worded acknowledgment” from India’s honourable Prime Minister Narendra Modi for her contribution to the sport.
PM Modi extended good wishes to the legendary cricketer after she called time on her international career last month, saying Mithali has been an inspiration for many sportspersons.
“It’s a matter of singular honour & pride when one receives such warm encouragement from our Hon’ble PM Shri @narendramodi ji, who is a role model & inspiration for millions including me. I am overwhelmed by this thoughtfully worded acknowledgment of my contribution to cricket,” Mithali tweeted.
“I will treasure this forever. I feel inspired and encouraged for my next chapter and will strive hard to live up to the expectations of our Hon’ble PM in contributing towards the growth of Indian sports,” she further wrote.
Having started her India career in 1999 as a teenager, Mithali Raj grew to become one of the all-time greats of the game. She represented India in 12 Tests, 232 ODIs, and 89 T20Is and also captained the national side to the finals of the two World Cup tournaments in 2005 and 2017.
Mithali amassed 699 Test runs including the highest score of 214 and four half-centuries to her name. In ODIs, she made 7805 runs and is the most run-getter in the format with 7 tons and 64 fifties, including the best of 125*. She is the first player to score seven consecutive half-centuries in ODIs.
In the shortest format, Mithali scored 2364 runs with 17 fifties and a best score of 97*.
In his letter to Mithali, Prime Minister Modi said: “You have served Indian cricket for over two decades. You are blessed with the necessary talent, tenacity and transformative edge needed to excel over the years. This zeal has not only helped you, but also inspired several other budding sportspersons.”
“One way to view your career is through the numbers. During your long sporting career, there are many records that have been broken as well as created by you. These accomplishments, including you being the top run-scorer in women’s international cricket, speak volumes about your abilities,” he added.
“But, at the same time, your success is beyond statistics and records. You are a trend-setter, an athlete, who has broken many a glass ceiling and a phenomenal source of motivation for others.”
