Mithali Raj Height, Age, Boyfriend, Husband, Family, Biography & More
Quick Info→
Marital Status: Unmarried
Age: 39 Years
Salary: Rs 50 Lakh
Bio/Wiki | |
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Full Name | Mithali Dorai Raj |
Other Name | Lady Sachin |
Profession | Cricketer |
Famous For | Being the highest run-scorer in women’s international cricket |
Physical Stats & More | |
Height (approx.) | in centimeters– 163 cm in meters– 1.63 m in feet inches– 5’ 4” |
Eye Colour | Black |
Hair Colour | Black |
Cricket | |
International Debut | ODI– 26 June 1999 vs Ireland Women at Milton Keynes Test– 14 January 2002 vs England Women at Lucknow T20– 5 August 2006 vs England Women at Derby |
Last Match | ODI– 27 March 2022 against South Africa at Christchurch Test– 30 September – 3 October 2021 against Australia at Carrara T20– 9 March 2019 against England at Guwahati |
International Retirement | • On 3 September 2019, she announced her retirement from T20 Internationals. • On 8 June 2022, she announced her retirement from all forms of international cricket. [1] |
Jersey Number | #3 (India) |
Domestic/State Team | • Air India Women • Railways • Asia Women XI • India Blue Women |
Coach/Mentor | • Jyoti Prasad • Sampath Kumar • Vinod Sharma • R. S. R. Murthy |
Batting Style | Right-hand |
Bowling Style | Legbreak |
Favourite Shot | Cover Drive |
Records (main ones) | • The highest run-scorer in women’s international cricket. • Holds the record for the 2nd highest score in women’s Test cricket, with 214 runs against England in the second and final Tests at Taunton in 2002. • The first women cricketer to score 7 consecutive half-centuries in ODI’s. Overall, Javed Miandad is the only player ahead of her, with 9 consecutive 50+ scores. • In July 2017, she surpassed England’s Charlotte Edwards (5992 runs) to become the highest run scorer in Women’s ODIs. • The first woman cricketer to play 200 ODIs. • The 1st Indian & 5th woman cricketer overall to score over 1,000 World Cup runs. • Playing the most consecutive Women’s One Day Internationals for a team (109). • The only player (male or female) to have captained India in more than one ICC ODI World Cup final, doing so twice in 2005 and 2017. • On 1 February 2019, during India’s series against New Zealand Women, she became the first woman to play in 200 ODI matches. • On 9 October 2019, when she stepped on the field during the first ODI of the three-match series between India and South Africa in Vadodara, she became the first woman cricketer to have an international career lasting more than 20 years. • In March 2021, Mithali became the second woman cricketer in the world to score 10,000 runs in international cricket and the first woman in India. • On 3 July 2021, she became the leading run-scorer across format in international cricket, going past former England’s batter Charlotte Edwards. She climbed the peak by overtaking Edwards’ tally of 10,273 runs. Mithali achieved the feat during the 3rd and the final ODI against hosts England. While chasing a 220-run target, she played a crucial knock of 75 not out, guiding India to a 4-wicket win. On 5 July 2021, to highlight Mithali’s outstanding achievement, BCCI put on a special tweet in which Mithali and Sachin Tendulkar were shown as the leading run scorers in international cricket. |
Awards, Honours, Achievements | 2003: Arjuna Award
2015: Padma Shri 2015: Wisden Indian Cricketer of the year |
Personal Life | |
Date of Birth | 3 December 1982 |
Age (as of 2021) | 39 Years |
Birthplace | Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India |
Zodiac sign | Sagittarius |
Signature |
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Nationality | Indian |
Hometown | Secunderabad, India |
School | • Keyes High School For Girls, Secunderabad • Kasturba Gandhi Junior College for Women in West Marredpally (Secunderabad) |
College/University | Did Not Attend |
Educational Qualifications | 12th Standard |
Religion | Hinduism |
Caste/Ethnicity | Tamil |
Address | Her home is located in a colony in Trimulgherry, north of Hyderabad
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Hobbies | Dancing, Reading |
Controversies | • During the 2018 ICC Women’s World Twenty20, she got involved in a controversy with cricket management when she accused the coach Ramesh Powar and BCCI COA member Diana Edulji in a letter to BCCI for being biased against her; as she was not included in the T20 world cup semifinals. However, in his reply, Powar dismissed her claims and accused her of ‘blackmailing and pressurising coaches.’ Powar further said, “despite being a senior player in the team she puts in minimum inputs in team meetings. She could not understand & adapt to the team plan. She ignored her role and batted for own milestones. Lack of keeping the momentum going which was putting extra pressure on other batters.” • Mithali’s relationship with the T20 team’s captain Harmanpreet Kaur is also said to be strained. |
Relationships & More | |
Marital Status | Unmarried |
Affairs/Boyfriends | Not Known |
Family | |
Husband/Spouse | N/A |
Parents | Father– Dorai Raj (Airman (Warrant Officer) in the Indian Air Force; thereafter, worked at Andhra Bank) Mother– Leela Raj (worked with the engineering instruments division of Lawrence and Mayo) |
Siblings | Brother– Mithun Raj (elder)
Sister– None |
Favourite Things | |
Favourite Cricketer(s) | Michael Clarke, Sachin Tendulkar |
Food | Thick curds-rice |
Actor | Shah Rukh Khan, Amitabh Bachchan |
Actress | Priyanka Chopra |
Book | The Essential Rumi by Coleman Barks |
Poet | Rumi |
Dance Form | Bharatanatyam |
Money Factor | |
Salary (approx.) | Rs 50 lakh/annual |
Some Lesser Known Facts About Mithali Raj
- Does Mithali Raj smoke?: No
- Does Mithali Raj drink alcohol?: Yes
- Mithali was born into a Tamil Family in Rajasthan’s Jodhpur; where her father, Dorai Raj, was on his last Indian Air Force posting.
- Mithali’s mother, Leela, describes her entry into Cricket as serendipitous; as she became fond of the game by accompanying her elder brother, Mithun, to his 6 am cricket coaching class at St John’s Academy.
- Mithali grew up calling her elder brother by the north Indian nickname Bhaiya. She also grew up wanting to follow him in whatever he did.
- In an interview, Mithali’s mother revealed about her that she was very lazy in her childhood who always enjoyed her sleep. However, when it was about to accompany her brother to his 6 am cricket coaching, she would give up her habit of sleeping late.
- For a time pass, while Mithun and other boys practised, Mithun’s coach Jyoti Prasad would often play a side game of Cricket with the 6-year-old Mithali.
- It was Jyoti Prasad who recognized Mithali’s cricketing skills and suggested to her father “Instead of concentrating on your son, I think it’s better you start concentrating on the girl.” Prasad also suggested Mithali’s parents a National Institute of Sports coach named Sampath Kumar.
- Thereafter, Mithali ventured into Sampath Kumar’s girls’ cricket Sports Glory Club for about two months when he noticed her.
- Soon, Sampath Kumar became so impressed with the cricketing skills of Mithali that he called her parents and said, “this girl is good. I am planning to make her play for the country.” Initially, Mithali’s parents didn’t take Kumar seriously.
- Sampath Kumar was so confident about Mithali’s game that he further said to her parents, “She is playing-for-the-country material. I, as a coach, I can take the challenge. But as parents, I need you guys also then only we can work on it… I will want her to play for the country when she’s 14 years. Sachin Tendulkar had a record. So why not we make this girl?’”
- Under the mentorship of Kumar, at barely 9, Mithali was selected to play for the state in the sub-juniors tournament and became the youngest to do so.
- Mithali played her first match outside her hometown when she was chosen for the sub-juniors and was expected to travel to Jalandhar, nearly 2,000 km away.
- Thereafter, Mithali went on in and out of her home for more than 15 to 20 days in a month, travelling the length and breadth of the country for matches.
- After sub-juniors, Mithali went on to be selected in the junior and the senior teams; successively.
- At every stage, Mithali’s parents stood behind her. Even her mother had to resign from her work so that she could better take care of her food.
- When Mithali’s coach told her mother that Mithali should never travel by public transport, she drove Mithali to practice on a two-wheeler.
- When the 1997 World Cup was approaching, Mithali, a tender 14, was selected as a probable. However, she couldn’t make it to the team.
- Thereafter, she began representing on the domestic scene first Air-India and later the railways.
- When the 17-year-old Mithali made her ODI debut at Milton Keynes, England, where she scored an unbeaten 114 against Ireland; unfortunately her coach Sampath Kumar Kumar wasn’t there to see his prediction becoming true; as he had been killed two years earlier in an accident. However, Mithali never looked back after that tour.
- When Mithali returned home from her first abroad tour in England; she recieved a warm welcome from all across the state and country.
- Her first love was dance, but she quit it at the age of 8 and chose cricket over it. She pursued dancing; especially Bharat Natyam, for many years, right till Class 8.
- She is an avid reader and often takes time to read her favourite books and novels.
- She was the first women to win the Wisden Indian Cricketer of the year in 2015.
- Mithali is a huge fan of Sachin Tendulkar and has also earned the nickname of “Tendulkar of Indian women’s cricket.”
- In October 2017, she appeared on the cover of Vogue India Magazine along with Shah Rukh Khan and Nita Ambani.
- Mithali is also a huge fan of Amitabh Bachchan, and in September 2017, she appeared on the show of Kaun Banega Crorepati.
- After reaching the finals of the 2017 Women’s Cricket World Cup, Mithali and her team received applauds from many dignitaries including the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi.
- In 2017, Viacom 18 Motion Pictures acquired the rights to make a biopic on her life. When asked about her choice of actress to play the lead in the film, Mithali said, “I think Priyanka Chopra will be a great choice.” Eventually, Taapsee Pannu played Mithali’s role in her biopic “Shabaash Mithu.”
- Here’s an interesting video about Mithai Raj’s biography: