Indian cricket has been served by faces throughout the journey. Heroes were created in adverse times when hope was a distant entity. Kapil Dev got the cup at times when no one was ready for a cup. Tendulkar made cricket a religion and Dhoni got the most important trophies. In the female side of things, the only thing lacking is a trophy.
With the experience of finals, Indian teams look armed for a cup. However, the face that shall take the center stage would be a girl from Hyderabad. Her feats have made her more than girls and now she is a legend. Female Cricket got a new episode into their tally of podcasts and the guest was India’s most celebrated female cricketer.
Mithali Raj has received love from the nation for her endeavors but her personal and the off-the-field side was something new for fans. The Instagram lives are shorter and cricket is the center-stage, but the podcast staged by Vishal Yadav seems to have interacted with the Mithali Raj that very few know. Her story is like a mathematical function where the results are the products of her incredible dedication and sacrifices.
Of these tales, one of her earliest stories have mentions of early mornings when she would get up at 4:30 am to make it up to her schedule. It was her school and the cricket that had to be managed. One of the hardest things for a human to do is leave the sweet sleep for early morning and to say goodbye to the warm bed in chilling mornings. In fact, Mithali recalls those days and wonders how she was getting up every day. A great part of her discipline comes from the fact that her dad is an army officer. The Indian skipper has candidly discussed various aspects of her with Vishal.
He talks of the last time when Mithali had the chance of a break like a lockdown. To this, she revealed that it was around 12 years ago that she was away from the ground for this while. The age was mere 18 when she was offered a job in railways and she was learning the job for three weeks. However, it was not a vacation or a break as rigorous training was on. It highlights that the quest to be the best has no breaks to offer.
Apart from these sacrifices, Mithali is like any other child. She agrees of having loads of chocolate as a child and has a cheerful relation with her mother. Her mother, like all moms, had a big role in the success of the ace cricketer. She was the force behind the rise. She used to get Mithali on her two-wheeler and made a hot tiffin for her kid who used to leave the house before the sun. Mithali is like any of us but there are few additions. As we got through her chat, these additions appear to be dedication, passion, and most importantly resilience. She had a career more than decades and is still the elite that India has to offer.
To listen to the complete podcast, click on the following links:
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