Login Register
Follow Us

Mithali’s T20 innings over

NEW DELHI:Mithali Raj, Indian women’s cricket great and ODI captain, has announced her retirement from T20Is, a format in which she signs off as the country’s leading run-scorer despite a controversy-ridden last leg.

Show comments

New Delhi, September 3

Mithali Raj, Indian women’s cricket great and ODI captain, has announced her retirement from T20Is, a format in which she signs off as the country’s leading run-scorer despite a controversy-ridden last leg. The 36-year-old said she wants to focus on her ODI career, keeping in mind the 2021 ODI World Cup in New Zealand. The veteran’s announcement came as a surprise, considering that last week she made herself available for the home series against South Africa, beginning September 24.

“After representing India in T20Is since 2006, I wish to retire from T20Is to focus my energy on readying myself for the 2021 ODI World Cup,” said Mithali in a statement released through the Indian cricket board (BCCI).

Mithali ended her T20I career with 2,364 runs from 89 matches at an average of 37.5 and a highest score of 97*. She made her T20I debut in 1999 and played her last match in March against England in Guwahati. Mithali is the first Indian woman to reach the landmark of 2,000 T20I runs. The senior opener captained the country in 32 T20Is, including in the three World Cups — in 2012 (Sri Lanka), 2014 (Bangladesh) and 2016 (India).

Mithali now intends to focus on the 50-over World Cup in 2021. She had captained India to their second World Cup final in 2017, a feat that gave a much-needed impetus to women’s cricket in the country. Mithali captained India in their first ever T20I back in 2006. The Jodhpur-born player, who was no more a sure starter in the T20Is playing XI, was earlier expected to retire after the home series against England in March.

Controversy at World T20

After expressing her desire to play the five-match series against South Africa last week, Mithali seems to have had a change of heart. Speculation was rife over Mithali’s future in T20Is ever since she was controversially left out of the playing XI for the World T20 semifinals against England last year. Her axing blew up into a major furore during which she accused the then coach Ramesh Powar of trying to destroy her career. It is widely believed that she has had a falling out with T20I team captain Harmanpreet Kaur, who had backed her ouster from the team at the time. The controversy ended after Powar was sacked and WV Raman came in as the new coach of the team. — PTI


Know Mithali
Full name: Mithali Dorai Raj
Born: December 3, 1982, Jodhpur, Rajasthan
Daughter of Dorai Raj, a retired Air Force sergeant, she trained along with her brother and took cricket coaching sessions at St John’s Academy in Secunderabad.

There was lot of hue and cry about her inclusion or non-inclusion in the T20 side, but in T20 also she was the first Indian to score 2,000 runs. It is only after her that Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli did it. The point is no one can take away the fact that she has by far been the greatest batter for India, forget the controversies — Shantha Rangaswamy, former India captain 

91 Not out — Mithali’s score against New Zealand in the semifinals, taking India to their first World Cup final in 2005

Show comments
Show comments

Top News

Most Read In 24 Hours