Indian captain Mithali Dorai Raj etched her name into the history books by becoming the leading run-scorer in women’s ODI cricket.
Mithali achieved the magnificent feat during India’s ICC World Cup 2017 match against Australia at Bristol when she surpassed Charlotte Edwards’s record of 5,992 runs. With this, she also becomes the first woman cricketer to go past the 6000-run mark.
In stats: England’s Charlotte Edwards had scored 5992 runs in 191 matches at an average of 38.16 including nine centuries and 46 half-centuries. Mithali, on the other hand, has crossed 6000 runs in 182 ODIs with a batting average of above 50. She has a total of six centuries and 49 half-centuries to her name.
Earlier in the World Cup, Mithali set the record for most consecutive fifties by a player, scoring seven consecutive fifties in ODIs. The previous best of six half centuries was shared between four women (including Mithali) – Lindsay Reeler of Australia, Ellyse Perry of Australia, Charlotte Edwards of England and Mithali Raj of India.
Mithali Raj made her debut in 1999 and scored an unbeaten century on debut against Ireland at Milton Keynes. At 16 years and 205 days, she is the youngest centurion in women’s cricket history.
Mithali has come a long way since, and captained the Indian women’s cricket team in over 100 international matches.
Honoured with the Arjuna Award in 2003 and the Padma Shri in 2015, Mithali Raj is now playing her fifth and final World Cup. We wish her all the best now and ahead!
– Varun Kumar | SpreadSports
