Indian women's ODI captain Mithali Raj on Saturday indicated that the 2022 50-over World Cup in New Zealand will be her "swansong" after 23 illustrious years in international cricket.
If India win Women's World Cup it would be a seismic moment: England captain Sciver-Brunt
Mithali Raj reached the 7,000-run milestone in her 213th match
India had already sealed the series by winning the first two ODIs but in the 3rd ODI, failed to defend the total of 253 for five, built around Raj's unbeaten 125 and opener Smriti Mandhana's 51.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India should not "wait forever" to start the women's Indian Premier League, said India women's ODI captain Mithali Raj, urging the BCCI to make it happen next year on a smaller scale before gradually developing it.
Former captains Diana Edulji and Shantha Rangaswamy believe the Indian women's team can't afford to 'blow hot and cold' in a big event like the ongoing ODI World Cup and called for consistency in the batting department.
The Men in Blue claimed the prestigious T20 WC trophy for the second time, defeating South Africa by seven runs in Barbados on Saturday.
Indian players retained their numero uno status in the International Cricket Council's ODI Women's Rankings with Mithali Raj leading the batting chart and Jhulan Goswami heading the bowling list issued on Wednesday.
Opener Mithali Raj held the innings together with an unbeaten half-century as Indian women notched up a comfortable seven-wicket victory over South Africa in the first T20 International, in Potchefstroom, on Tuesday.
Host of match-winners and Dhoni's expertise make India favourites, says Mithali Raj
The clash was a record-breaking one. Right from individual pieces of glory to team milestones, India opener Smriti Mandhana's records to Australia once again re-writing history books to justify the seven titles in their trophy cabinet, this match had it all.
Mithali Raj played a captain's knock of 88 to guide India to a six-wicket victory over visiting the Australians.
Legendary Indian skipper Mithali Raj feels the COVID-19 forced break may have pushed back the growth of women's cricket by at least two years. Mithali, Indian women's ODI captain and the world's highest run-getter in 50-over cricket, also said that a full-fledged women's Indian Premier League is still at least three years away although a fourth team can be added for the Challenger series.
The Indian women's cricket team captain Mithali Raj today recalled her journey to the top and revealed that as an Indian player she had travelled unreserved in a train.
'30 days for the start of the women's World Cup in NZ ..wish the Indian team and the rest of the teams all the very best ... @ICC @BCCI' Ganguly captioned the video.
Skipper Mithali Raj finally came good with an unbeaten century as Indian women beat arch-rivals Pakistan by six wickets in a seventh place play-off encounter in the ICC Women's World Cup in Cuttack on Thursday.
Skipper Mithali Raj was the highest placed Indian in the latest ICC T20I Women's Rankings as she remained static in the third position in the batting chart even as Jhulan Goswami fell a place to be fourth in the bowling list.
'This is the beginning of good times for women's cricket.'
Skipper Alyssa Healy led from the front with a masterful 142 as Australia pulled off a record chase of 331 to beat India by three wickets in their Women's World Cup group match on Sunday.
Regular captain Harmanpreet Kaur was ruled out of the three-match T20I series against England due to an an ankle injury.
Mandhana has established herself as among the best batters in the world in recent years.
Mithali Raj was the best-placed Indian batter at number three while Jhulan Goswami was the country's highest-ranked bowler at second in the ICC Women's T20 International Player Rankings which were launched in Colombo on Monday.
India 'C' skipper Mithali Raj dazzled with a brilliant 103, which helped her team defeat India 'B' by 163 runs and enter the final of the women's Challenger Trophy in Mumbai on Monday. India 'C' compiled 254 for 6 in the allotted 50 overs and then dismissed the opposition for 91 in 39.5 overs.
Mithali Raj will lead the 14-member Indian squad in the next month's ICC Women's World Cup Qualifiers which brings together 10 sides in their quest to claim the remaining four places in the main event to be held in June next year. The tournament will run from February 7 to 21 at four Colombo venues and the sides finishing in the top four of the Super Six stage will join defending champion Australia, host England, former winner New Zealand and reigning ICC World Twenty20 champion West Indies in the ICC Women's World Cup 2017 from June 26 to July 23.
India captain Mithali Raj's excellent show in the three-match series against England has helped her grab the No.1 position in the MRF Tyres ICC Women's ODI Player Rankings for the eighth time in her stellar 22-year international career.
Mithali Raj played a captain's knock, scoring an unbeaten 79 but South Africa registered a five-wicket victory in a low-scoring fifth and final women's ODI to seal the series 4-1.
India skipper Mithali Raj has welcomed the selection of teen sensation Shafali Verma in all three formats and said it would be crucial to get back to winning ways on the UK tour after the disappointment at home against South Africa.
'I'm playing for the first time with pink ball, so I can't really say what the challenges would be, but yes whatever little I have faced in the nets, it does seam quite a bit.'
Paralympic gold-winners Avani Lekhara, Sumit Antil, Pramod Bhagat, Krishna Nagar, Manish Narwal were also given the Khel Ratna at a dazzling awards ceremony on Saturday.
With the focus on youngsters ahead of next year's T20 World Cup, the selectors may not pick her for the upcoming T20I home series against South Africa.
Directed by Srijit Mukherji, Shabaash Mithu is slated to release on July 15.
Star Indian pistol shooter Manu Bhaker was named the BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year, following her outstanding performance at the Paris Olympics.
Post 50-over success, Mithali says India must play more Tests
India batter Mithali Raj moved up a rung to second spot, overtaking Australian Lisa Sthalekar, in the ICC Women's ODI Player rankings issued on Friday. Mithali scored 59 against England and 75 not out against Sri Lanka in the ongoing ICC Women's World Cup group stage matches to guide them into the Super Six stage.
India captain Mithali Raj came out in support of starting a women's version of the cash-rich Indian Premier League after having spoken against it earlier.
'Harmanpreet Kaur will lead India for the first time in a global event and I think she is up for the challenge both as a captain and as a player'
Indian women's cricket team captain Mithali Raj held on to his number one spot while world champions Australia became the number one ODI team in the latest ICC rankings issued.
'We need to see the bigger picture preparing for the World Cup.'
'The next ODI World Cup is at home and we have not won a global event yet at the senior level. I am sure the BCCI is prioritising that and will keep these players in the mix.'
India captain Mithali Raj believes her team can carry forward its winning momentum from last year's Asia Cup into the upcoming quadrangular series.
