Mithali Raj 10 Personal Facts, Biography, Wiki
Indian cricketer Born: December 3, 1982 (age 39 years), Jodhpur, India Full name: Mithali Dorai Raj Height: 5 ft 4 in (1.63 m) Batting: Right-handed Bowling: Legbreak Siblings: Mithun Raj Parents: Leela Raj, Dorai Raj FULL NAME Mithali Dorai Raj BORN December 3, 1982 NATIONALITY Indian ROLE Captain, Batswoman
Mithali Raj 10 Pics, Photos, Pictures
Mithali Raj 10 Fast Facts, Biography, Wiki
She is a Bharatanatyam dancer. Mithali’s mother, Leela, terms Mithali’s entry into cricket as a complete coincidence. As she grew up, she followed her brother, Mithun, in whatever he used to do. Soon, she started developing an interest in cricket by accompanying her brother to his 6 am coaching class at St. John’s Cricket Academy, Secunderabad. While Mithun and other boys practised, Mithun’s coach Jyoti Prasad would often play a side game of cricket with the six-year-old Mithali for a time pass. Jyoti Prasad recognised cricket skills of Mithali Raj and suggested to her father that he should concentrate on Mithali instead of his son. Jyoti even suggested her parents a coach of National Institute of Sports named Sampath Kumar. Thereafter, she joined Sampath Kumar’s girls’ cricket sports Glory Club for about 2 months, where he noticed her. Mithali’s parents didn’t take Sampath Kumar seriously when he told them that Mithali had the potential to play for the country. Sampath was so confident about Mithali’s skills that he further told her parents, Mithali is playing-for-the-country material. I, as a coach, I can take the challenge. But as parents, I need you guys also then only I can work on it… I will want her to play for the country when she’s 14 years. Sachin Tendulkar had a record, so why not we make this girl?” At the age of 9, she was selected to play for the state in the sub-junior tournament under the mentorship of Sampath Kumar. She was the youngest to do so. Mithali played her first match outside her hometown when she was chosen for sub-juniors and was expected to travel to Jalandhar, 2000 km away. Thereafter, she started going in and out of her home for more than 15 to 20 days a month, travelling every part of the country. After sub-juniors, she went on to be selected for the junior and senior team, successively. At every stage, Mithali’s parents stood beside her, her mother resigned from her job to take care of Mithali’s meals and when her coach asked his parents not to make Mithali travel by public transport, her mother drove her to practice on two-wheelers. When the World Cup 1997 was approaching, Mithali, at the age of 14, was selected as a probable. However, she couldn’t make it to the team. She then began representing the domestic teams, first AIR India, then railways. When Mithali made her ODI debut, sadly, her coach wasn’t there to see his prediction come true as he had died in an accident 2 years before. Her first love was dance, but she chose cricket over it. She did Bharatanatyam till her class 8.
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