Nishat Anjum
"I set out as a little girl on the journey to wear the India blues as representing your country is the highest honour," the 39-year-old Mithali Raj, the former Captain of the Indian Women’s National Cricket Team, wrote on social media as she announced her retirement from International Cricket.
However, she leaves a legacy that goes far beyond numbers. She was the first woman to make it big in a largely male-dominated sport, and she inspired girls all around the country to pursue their dreams. Her longevity has been built on discipline, and it's strange to realise that Raj was introduced to the sport because she was too lazy to do anything else.
Dorai Raj, who was in the Indian Air Force at the time, would make his daughter join her brother to cricket training at the John's Cricket Academy in Secunderabad to ensure she didn't develop the habit of sleeping in late. Mithali Raj made her international debut against Ireland on June 26, 1999, rose to the captaincy in 2004 and amassed nearly 11,000 runs across all formats. Raj represented India 333 times across all formats during her 23-year career. In March of this year, she guided India to the Women's World Cup, although her side was eliminated in the quarterfinals after losing their final round-robin game to South Africa.
Her batting was technically and visually excellent, and she fetched a premium price for her wicket. She averaged more than 40 in her strongest format, One Day Internationals, for 20 calendar years, including two monster seasons in 2004 and 2017—the year India reached the Women's World Cup final. Mithali, who was 34 at the time, had a particularly successful 2017 World Cup, scoring 409 runs in nine innings, just one run behind tournament leader Tammy Beaumont of England.
Women's cricket suffered in obscurity and neglect, while their male colleagues gained the benefits of fame and fortune. Women's cricketers in India lacked access to facilities, instruction, and even a solid domestic framework. Players would have to go from pitch mats to international wickets right away. With Raj at the helm, Indian female cricketers were always fighting the system while competing against better funded, better-trained opponents.
Mithali became an Indian and global cricketing icon alongside teammate Jhulan Goswami as a result of her on-field exploits and outstanding innings. James Anderson, Shoaib Malik, Rangana Herath, Chris Gayle, Mohammad Hafeez, and Ross Taylor were among the few men of her generation who could match her longevity, which spanned decades. These names, however, have one important distinction: all of these individuals have either already had the opportunity to play in a final farewell match or series, or are anticipated to do so in the near future.
Meanwhile, Mithali's farewell was delivered via a social media graphic about three months after her last appearance, as the focus immediately switched to the Indian men's T20 series against South Africa. Women's cricket in India had been overlooked till Mithali Raj made her debut. Her quiet farewell, 23 years later, symbolizes culture and attitude toward women's cricket that has yet to shift.
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