Mithali Raj

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 Here are some of the most notable career records of Mithali Raj — one of the greatest women’s cricketers of all time.


๐Ÿ Early Life & Cricket Beginnings

  • Full name: Mithali Dorai Raj

  • Born: 3 December 1982, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India

  • Parents: Dorai Raj (Indian Air Force officer) and Leela Raj

  • Early education: Keyes High School for Girls, Secunderabad; later studied at Kasturba Gandhi Junior College for Women, Hyderabad.

๐ŸŒฑ How She Started Cricket

  • Mithali originally trained in classical dance (Bharatanatyam) and began playing cricket at age 10.

  • Her talent was spotted when she used to accompany her brother to cricket coaching sessions.

  • She trained at the St. John’s Coaching Foundation in Secunderabad under coach Jyothi Prasad and later Sampath Kumar, who also coached future Indian players like Nooshin Al Khadeer and Anjum Chopra.

  • Mithali represented Andhra Pradesh sub-junior team before making it to the Indian national team.

  • She played domestic cricket for Railways, where she shared teams with legends like Jhulan Goswami and Anjum Chopra.

๐ŸŒŸ International Debut

  • ODI debut: 26 June 1999 vs Ireland (Dundalk) — scored 114 on debut*, becoming the youngest woman to score an ODI century (16 years 205 days).

  • Test debut: 14 January 2002 vs England — later that year scored a record 214 against England at Taunton.

  • T20I debut: 5 August 2006 vs England — part of India’s first women’s T20I match.

๐Ÿ† Rise to Stardom

  • Captained India for the first time in 2004, leading the team to the final of the 2005 Women’s World Cup.

  • Guided India to another World Cup final in 2017, where India narrowly lost to England at Lord’s.

  • Became the highest run-scorer in women’s ODIs and later the first woman to score 7,000+ ODI runs.

  • Known for her composed batting style, technique, and leadership — often called “the Sachin Tendulkar of women’s cricket.”


  • ๐Ÿงฎ Selected Highlights & Additional Details

    • Test High Score: 214 vs England (2002) — at the time, a record for women’s Test cricket. 

    • ODI Debut: 26 June 1999 vs Ireland – scored 114* on debut at age 16 years. 

    • Longest ODI career by a female player: ~22 years 274 days. 

    • Most matches played in women’s ODIs: 232. 

    • Most 50+ scores in women’s ODIs: 71 fifty-plus innings from 211 innings. 

    • T20I Opening record: Among her T20I innings she scored ~1,340 runs in 42 innings when opening, at an average ~40.60. 

    • As captain in ODIs: Led India in many matches (89 wins in ODIs as captain as per one source) and highest run-scorer among captains

  • Key Career Stats

    • ODI matches (Women’s One-Day Internationals): Played 232 matches

    • ODI runs scored: 7,805 runs. 

    • ODI batting average: ~50.68. 

    • T20 Internationals: 89 matches, 2,364 runs (India’s highest in women’s T20Is). 

    • Tests: Scored 214 against England (2002) — one of the highest individual scores in women’s Test cricket. 

    • Career span: Debut on 26 June 1999; last international match in March 2022 — total span ~22 years 274 days for ODIs. 

    ๐Ÿ† Record Highlights

    • She is the highest run-scorer in women’s ODIs (7,805 runs) in history.

    • Most matches played in women’s ODIs: 232. 

    • Most fifty-plus scores in women’s international cricket: 71 in ODIs + 17 in T20Is = 88 total fifty-plus innings. 

    • Youngest centurion in women’s internationals (114* on debut at age 16 years 205 days). 

    • Longest ODI career (female): 22 years 274 days. 

    • Most matches captained in women’s ODIs: 155 matches as captain. 

    • Highest individual Test score by an Indian woman: 214. 

    ๐ŸŽฏ Other Noteworthy Achievements

    • She became the leading run-getter in women’s international cricket (across all formats) surpassing 10,000 runs. 

    • She is the only woman cricketer to have appeared in six Women’s Cricket World Cups (2000, 2005, 2009, 2013, 2017, 2022). 

    • As captain, led India to two ICC Women’s World Cup finals (2005 and 2017). 

    ✅ Why Her Records Matter

    • Longevity + Consistency: A career spanning more than two decades at the top level is extremely rare.

    • Dominance in ODIs: Her average above 50 and highest run-tally establish her as a benchmark for women’s ODI batting.

    • Leadership: Not just a batter, but a captain who led the side in many matches and big tournaments.

    • Pioneering: As one of India’s most successful women cricketers, she set standards for future generations.

    If you like, I can pull up complete detailed statistics (by format, by opposition, by home/away) for Mithali Raj. Would you like that?

  • Legacy & Impact

    • Career span: 1999 – 2022 (22 years 274 days — a world record for women’s ODI career).

    • Total international runs: Over 10,800 across formats.

    • ICC Women’s World Cups played: 6 (most by any player).

    • Awards:

      • Arjuna Award (2003)

      • Padma Shri (2015)

      • Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna (2021)

      • ๐Ÿ Retirement Details

        ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ณ T20I Retirement

        • Mithali retired from T20 Internationals on 3 September 2019, after 89 matches, 2,364 runs, and a top score of 97*.

        • Her statement emphasized giving more opportunities to younger players ahead of the 2020 T20 World Cup.

        ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ณ Full International Retirement

        • On 8 June 2022, Mithali Raj announced her retirement from all forms of international cricket after a 23-year-long career.

        • Final international match: India vs South Africa, Women’s World Cup (March 27 2022).

        • She stated:

          “I set out as a little girl on the journey to wear the India blue jersey. The journey was full of highs and some lows. Each event taught me something unique… Like all journeys, this one too must come to an end.”

        • After retirement, she took on mentoring roles — she was a mentor for the Gujarat Giants in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2023.




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