Going to give another try to win the World Cup in 2021, states Mithali Raj

08/02/2020

Indian Women’s team ODI skipper Mithali Raj has confirmed that she wants to give it one more shot at winning the 50-over World Cup in 2021, after agonizingly coming close to doing so in 2017. 37-year-old Mithali revealed that she was planning to retire in the case of India triumphing in 2017.

A veteran of the highest order, Mithali Raj’s Indian career has been the stuff of dreams - at least from an individualist standpoint. After making her debut in 1999 as a 16-year-old, the right-hander has gone on to play a staggering 308 international matches for the country across formats and it was not so long ago that the veteran, who has 6,888 ODI runs to her name, became the first woman to score 6,000 ODI runs.

Now retired from the T20 format, despite collecting a lot of individual accolades, there is one thing that has evaded Mithali in her marvellous 21-year-career: a World Cup trophy. Speaking on Star Sports 1 Telugu show 'Girl Power-Sarileru Manakevvaru', however, Mithali, who will be 38 next year, revealed that she wants to have one final crack at winning the World Cup by participating in the 2021 edition.

"In 2013, when India hosted the world cup, we didn't even qualify for the super six stage. I was hurt and quite disappointed," she said on Star Sports 1 Telugu show Girl Power-Sarileru Manakevvaru, reported TOI.

"I thought let me give it a try in the 2017 World Cup. Then I really worked hard for that World Cup. As a player, as a captain, I did a lot of homework. I thought when we were in the finals, if we win the finals, then I will retire.

"After playing for so many years, probably I had everything, except that one World Cup. In 2021 again I am going to give another try, hopefully with everybody's wishes and God willing we should crack it."

An inspiration for aspiring young women’s cricketers across the world and the country, the ODI skipper, however, revealed that it was not by choice that she ended up becoming a cricketer. Mithali revealed that cricket ‘happened’ to her, when her father enrolled her into an academy at a young age, and added that her dream as a child was to become an IAS officer.

"Honestly cricket happened to me. It didn't come by choice. I didn't choose to get into cricket. You can see, my teammates, those who have different stories, like they played with their brothers and some of them were inspired by their brothers. They played in streets.

"But (for me) it was nothing like that. My dad took me to the academy there whatever transpired, and I was straight away into a full-fledged academy for girls.

"I was too young to make a choice. If at that time somebody could ask a 10-year-old Mithali, what you want to become, I would have said that I wanted to become an IAS officer. Not a sportsperson, not a dancer. I always felt I had it in me to be an IAS officer."

It was only in 2006 that Women’s Cricket came under the governance of BCCI and according to Mithali, women’s cricket in the country would have benefitted extensively had it happened at the start of the century, for she believes that a lot of promising cricketers left the sport in that period due to lack of financial stability.

"Women's cricket came under BCCI at the time of 2006-07. I feel if it had happened five years before, it would have been better. Many talented players at that time, because of lack of money, lack of financial stability through this game, had to shift to different fields.

"After turning 23-24, parents will ask what is next? So, being a women cricketer what can you tell parents? I don't earn money, I am playing for passion? Nobody will buy it. Because of that reason, a lot of talented people had to let go of their profession (cricket).

"So, at that time if BCCI was there, they would have added an extended career and we would have more pool of players in women's cricket."