Captain of the India women’s team, Mithali Raj on Friday became first Indian woman cricketer and only the second overall to score 10,000 international runs.
Mithali Raj achieved the milestone figure in the third ODI against South Africa at the Ekana Cricket Stadium. Playing in her 212th ODI for India, Mithali played a knock of 36 runs and completed 10,000 runs in international cricket.
She became the second woman to reach 10,000 runs in international cricket. Former England skipper Charlotte Edwards was the first woman to do so. She is the leading run-getter across format with 10,273 runs.
Mithali Raj has scored 663 runs from 10 Tests with a highest of 214 at an average of 51. In T20Is, Mithali averages an impressive 37.52 having scored 2364 runs from 89 matches. ODI cricket is where Mithali is at her best, having scored 6974 runs from 212 matches, including seven centuries and 54 fifties.
Prior to the third ODI, Smriti Mandhana had said, “Getting to 10,000 runs first or second is a huge thing. She is the first Indian to do that so I think it is something that shows how consistent she has been throughout her career. We have looked up to her, definitely a very proud feeling for all of us in the team.”
In context of the match, India got off to a poor start as Shabnim Ismail removed opening batswoman Jemimah Rodrigues(0) in the first over of the innings. Smriti Mandhana and Punam Raut then brought the innings back on track with a 64-run stand for the second wicket. After Mandhana’s dismissal in the 12th over, Raut and Mithali Raj added 77 runs for the third wicket. The partnership was broken by Bosch who dismissed Mithali for 36.
