Mithali Raj has been one of India’s premier batters in women’s cricket. During her 18-year international career since debut in 1999, the current Indian skipper has smashed many records. Her consistency has made her one of the best players in the world.
In the ICC Women’s World Cup, which started in England on Saturday, Mithali capped India’s brilliant batting display that saw them pile up 281/3 in 50 overs against the hosts in Derby.
Mithali smashed yet another fifty and in the process, the third of the innings, as she set a world record. Her seventh consecutive fifty was the most by any woman player in ODIs, bettering the previous mark of six jointly held by three players, Lindsay Reeler, Charlotte Edwards and Ellyse Perry.
Indian openers Punam Raut (86) and Smriti Mandana (90) raised a 144-run opening stand to lay the platform for a big total before skipper Mithali Raj took over, leaving England needing to achieve the second-highest successful chase ever for victory. Mithali hit 71 before being dismissed off the last ball.
Here is a look at some of the records Mithali achieved during her innings.
7 – Number of consecutive fifties from Mithali, which is the most by any international women’s player. Before her knock of 71 against England, she had scores of 70*, 64, 73*, 51*, 54 and 62*.
47 – Number of fifties smashed by Mithali Raj, which is the most by any international women cricketer. She got past the previous record set by England’s Charlotte Edwards, who had 46 fifties from 191 games.
52.27 – Average of Mithali in Women’s ODI, which is the best among women cricketers who have played over 100 ODIs. If one reduces the list to over 50 ODIs, then Australia’s Meg Lanning tops the list with 52.37
2 – Mithali is only the second cricketer in the women’s game to score over 5000 runs in ODIs. She has 5852 runs in 178 games and is on course to become the first cricketer to reach 6000 ODI runs in the ongoing ICC Women’s World Cup.
289 – The highest total chased down in Women’s ODI cricket, which was achieved by Australia against New Zealand in Sydney in December 2012. England will have to chase down the second-highest total after India amassed 281/3.