Mithali Raj Turns 41: A Look At Former India Skipper's Stats And Records

One of the finest players ever to don the Indian cricket team jersey, Mithali Raj had a glorious international career that spanned more than two decades.

The former India skipper made her international debut in June 1999 during an ODI match against Ireland. In Tests, Mithali played her maiden game against England in January 2002. Her T20I debut took place in August 2006 against the same opponents.

Overall, Mithali took part in 12 Tests, 232 ODIs and 89 T20I matches. She became the first woman cricketer to score 6000 runs in ODIs. In 2019, Mithali also became the first player in the history of women’s cricket to complete two decades in the 50-over format.

As Mithali Raj celebrates her 41st birthday today, we take a look at some of her career stats and records.

1. In ODIs, Mithali Raj scored 7805 runs at an average of 50.68 in 232 matches. In T20Is, she has 2364 runs to her name. In July 2021, she emerged as the highest run scorer in women’s internationals. Mithali surpassed England’s Charlotte Edwards’ tally of 10,273 runs to set the record.
2. Mithali also holds the record for most runs scored in the history of women’s ODI cricket.
3. Moreover, she is the only cricketer in the top-seven to have an average of 50 or more.
4. Mithali Raj kicked off her ODI career on a promising note having notched a century on her debut against Ireland in June 1999.
5. Mithali, at the age of 16 years and 205 days, became the youngest centurion in women’s international cricket. The record was broken 22 years later by Ireland’s Amy Hunter who achieved the milestone on her 16th birthday.
6. Mithali is also the only Indian woman cricketer to notch a double century in Tests.
7. As a skipper, Mithali Raj has the most number of wins (89) in the history of women’s ODIs.
8. She also holds the record for most matches captained in ICC Women’s World Cups. Mithali achieved this feat at the 2022 edition.
9. Spanned for more than 23 years, Mithali also holds the record for the longest international career in the history of women’s cricket.

Mithali Raj announced her retirement in 2022. She bid adieu to international cricket as the seventh-ranked player in the ICC Women’s ODI standings.