On 27th March 2022, exactly 2 years ago, Mithali Raj, one of India’s cricketing legends, played her last international match in the ICC Women’s World Cup. Unfortunately, it was a bittersweet moment for Indian cricket fans as India lost in the last league game against South Africa. The defeat meant India failed to advance to the semi-finals of the World Cup, marking an unexpected end to their campaign.
In her last match, Mithali Raj scored 68(84) completing a record 57th ODI fifty. She helped India post a competitive total of 274 runs against South Africa. Alongside her, there were contributions from opener Smriti Mandhana 71(84), Shafali Verma 53(46), and Harmanpreet Kaur 48(57). While bowling India got the early breakthrough of Lizelle Lee on 14 runs. Following that South Africa had some consistent good partnerships in the innings because of which they had an upper hand in the chase and went on to win the game on the last ball of the innings, eliminating the Indians from the World Cup.
🇿🇦SA won by 3 Wickets✨
• 🇮🇳India: 274/7 (50)
Smriti Mandhana: 71 (84)
Mithali Raj: 68 (84)
Shabnim Ismail: 2/42 (10)• 🇿🇦South Africa: 275/7 (50)
Laura Wolvaardt: 80 (79)
Mignon du Preez: 52* (63)
Harmanpreet Kaur: 2/42 (8)#CWC22 #INDvSA pic.twitter.com/yAySB0XH2F— Female Cricket (@imfemalecricket) March 27, 2022
Mithali Raj ended her career with 10,868 International runs. Mithali Raj’s retirement marked the end of an illustrious career spanning more than 2 decades, during which she became one of the most respected and admired cricketers globally. Her contributions to Indian cricket both as a player and a leader have been monumental, and her absence from the international stage was keenly felt by fans worldwide.
Despite the disappointment of not progressing further in the tournament, Mithali Raj continues to inspire generations of cricketers, and her influence on the game will endure for years to come. Her retirement serves as a poignant reminder of the passage of time and the inevitable transitions within the world of cricket, but her remarkable achievements will forever be etched in the annals of cricketing history.
Mithali Raj and Jhulan Goswami – the legends of Indian Cricket – their World Cup dreams are over.
#CWC22 #INDvSA #TeamIndia pic.twitter.com/4c3LicWv5l
— Female Cricket (@imfemalecricket) March 27, 2022
Loves all things female cricket