Mithali Raj is on top the worldMithali Raj is on top the world

Indian women’s Cricket captain Mithali Raj has been a huge servant of Indian cricket. Mithali Raj, 38, on Saturday created history becaming the leading run-scorer across all formats in international cricket. The record was earlier held by former English batter Charlotte Edwards. Raj and Edwards are the only two players to breach the 10000-run mark in women’s international cricketers and the India captain climbed the peak by overtaking Edwards’ tally of 10,273 runs.

With 75 not out, Mithali not only won the game for India, she now has an enviable total of 10,337 runs to her name, a tall order by any standards.

To her credit Mithali has made 669 Test runs (with 1 century and 4 half centuries), 7304 ODI runs (with 7 centuries and 58 half centuries) and 2364 T20 runs with 17 half centuries.

To celebrate the occasion, the BCCI on Sunday put on a special tweet, highlighting Raj’s outstanding achievement and joining her with Sachin Tendulkar’s world records. The BCCI tweeted that the record for the leading international run-scorer in both men’s and women’s cricket belonged to India as Sachin Tendulkar and Mithali Raj hold the records.

Mithali  helped India pull off a thrilling win and avoid a 0-3 sweep. Later Player of the Match, Mithali said on Sky Sports: “I never gave up in the middle. It’s being in the middle because you can’t win the match sitting out in the dugout. I wanted to win the game for the team. I just needed to get the partnership to take it to the last.

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“That’s something that kept me going through the innings. I knew in the middle overs I could manage the game. When you have young players in the side, you need to guide them along, that’s a responsibility.”

Mithali went past Charlotte Edwards’ record of highest runs (5992) in ODI  four years ago to emerge as the highest run-getter in women ODIs.

As captain, Raj has scored 6015 runs in 179 games. Her ODI record now sits at 7304.

Mithali’s tally of 2924 runs against England is the most by any woman cricketer against a particular team in ODIs.

Mithali Raj holds 11 World First/Top Records:

1. 1st

Most runs in an innings (by batting position) (214)-Women’s Test matches

2. 1st

Youngest player to score a double hundred (19y 254d)-Women’s Test matches

3. 1st

Most catches in an innings (3)-Women’s Test matches

4. 1st

Highest partnership for the seventh wicket (157)-Women’s Test matches

5. 1st

Longest careers (22y 7d)-Women’s One-Day Internationals

6. 1st

Most matches as captain (140)-Women’s One-Day Internationals

7. 1st

Most runs in career (7304)-Women’s One-Day Internationals

8. 1st

Youngest player to score a hundred (16y 205d)-Women’s One-Day Internationals

9. 1st

Most nineties in career (5)-Women’s One-Day Internationals

10. 1st

Fifties in consecutive innings (7)-Women’s One-Day Internationals

11. 1st

Highest career batting average (37.52)-Women’s Twenty20 Internationals

By Raj