Mithali Raj’s retirement: Will she Retire?

Mithali Raj’s retirement is now the huge talk after the defeat of the Indian Women Cricket team against South Africa. South Africa defeated India by three wickets in the last league game of the ICC Women’s Cricket Work Cup. 

India’s journey toward World Cup comes to an end this year. Along with this, it also seems like Mithali Raj’s journey is also coming to an end.

India Vs South Africa 

India chose to bat first and scored 274 runs. Mithali Raj, Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma scored half-centuries. This match was a great thriller. In the last over, South Africa needed 3 runs out of the last 2 balls. Mignon’s wicket was taken by Deepti Sharma but it became a no-ball and it became South Africa’s game.

All were aware that the World Cup will be the last tournament for Mithali Raj. Soon after the game was over, she told that everything must come to an end. She also asked the supporters to keep supporting the Women’s team.

She said, “Everything should come to an end, it’ll take time to settle the emotions. Thanks to everyone who turned out for every Indian game, it was nice to hear your cheers and keep supporting the girls and the Indian women’s team in the future.”

Mithali Raj’s career

Mithali Raj belongs to a Tamil Family. However, she grew up in Jodhpur, Rajasthan. When she was 10, she started playing cricket. She gave her debut in an ODI in the year 1999 against the Ireland women. In this match, she scored 114 runs. She and her partner Reshma Gandhi scored 258 runs together. 

She is the only player in the women’s division to score over 7000 runs in an ODI. Mithali has scored the most runs in International Women’s cricket. Under her captaincy, the Indian Women Cricket Team has won 154 ODI games. In the year 2021, Mithali became the first Indian Women Cricketer to win the Khel Ratna Award. 

Previously, she has hinted regarding her possible retirement. But she has now said that it is not the right time to take a decision on her future. Till now, she has played 6 World Cups in her 22 years of cricket. She is the only player after Sachin Tendulkar and Javed Miandad to play in 6 World Cups. Mithali Raj was seen to be heartbroken after she was not able to qualify for the semi-finals.

Mithali is not sure about her retirement

Mithali said, “You’ve not given me even an hour to think about my future, to go through and process what has just happened today.”

She said in the post-match virtual media interaction, replying to a query about Mithali Raj’s retirement. “Whatever the future holds for each and every player, so I’ve not really thought about my future.”

Previously, she did give some hints about her retirement saying saying “life has come full circle” for her as she looked forward “to finishing the journey”. But on Sunday, she said she will take a call on her future career when the “emotions are settled down”.