Mithali Raj, the former captain of the Indian women’s team, announced her retirement from international cricket on June 08. Mithali is one of India’s greatest players, and one of the most successful cricketers to have played for the Indian women’s team. She is also considered an all-time great. With her heroics with the bat, she won numerous matches and tournaments for India over the course of a two-decade career.
Mithali was not only a strong pillar of the Indian batting line-up for many years in women’s cricket, but she was also an exceptional leader who holds the record for captaining the most ODIs in women’s cricket history. On and off the field, she was a calm and composed leader who led the team from the front.
Mithali Raj stumped a reporter with her befitting reply
Mithali made her debut in 1999 at the age of 16 and became the youngest player to score an unbeaten century. She is also the only player to score seven consecutive ODI half-centuries and holds the record for most fifties in one-day internationals (64).
The veteran cricketer’s on-field achievements are unrivaled, but she also exhibited great character off the field. One such instance occurred during a press conference in 2017 when a reporter asked her an off-topic question, to which the then-Indian captain responded in style.
The reporter inquired about Mithali’s favorite male cricketer’s name. “Do you ask a male cricketer who their favorite female cricketer is?” replied the captain.
This response received a lot of attention, and many people praised her for effectively shutting down the reporter. Sania Mirza, another iconic Indian player, praised her response with the words ‘Mithali Raj, slay girl, well done’ and strength emoticons.
Mithali made the announcement of her retirement via social media on Wednesday. “Thank you for all your love & support over the years! I look forward to my 2nd innings with your blessing and support,” Mithali had written in the caption.
