Sometimes It Is Ok To Be Quiet - Mithali Raj On Her Feud With Ramesh Powar

Former India women’s team skipper Mithali Raj opened up on her feud with head coach Ramesh Powar and teammate Harmanpreet Kaur during the 2018 T20 World Cup. Mithali was engaged in a war of words with Powar after she was dropped from the team in the semi-final clash against England in the marquee event.

The situation got worse when Raj wrote an official letter to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), mentioning how Powar humiliated her during the global tournament. Powar’s tenure expired on November 30, 2018, and was replaced by former Indian batter WV Raman as women’s team head coach.

It also requires a lot of courage when you are treated unfairly: Mithali Raj

Powar returned to the role in May 2021 after his recommendation by the Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC). Mithali had retired from the T20I format but was the captain of India in the longer versions of the game – Tests and ODIs.

Mithali explained how she kept aside her differences with Powar and got along with him to work again for the Indian women’s team.

“When you find yourself in the middle of chaos, you can’t really think straight because you are feeling all sorts of emotions, even if you want to internalise and think from your brain and not from your heart. It would still be like you are hurting, so you will probably never have clarity if you are in chaos,” Mithali told India Today. 

“Take some time and get out of it and then see it as a third person to understand how better you can respond to it or is it necessary? Sometimes it is ok to be quiet. It also requires a lot of courage when you are treated unfairly… everybody knows only one side of the story and when you feel that way it is fine because, at the end of the day, I am someone who is goal-oriented.

“I had a purpose – to play cricket at the best optimum level that I could. If I had to achieve that each time when I was to get on to the field and I wanted to give my best, it is not just about my skill but it was also about my mental state of mind,” she added.

Mithali Raj announced retirement from all forms of cricket

On June 8, Mithali announced her retirement from all formats of the game after playing for 23 years in 12 Tests, 232 One-Day Internationals and 89 T20 Internationals. She scored 7805 runs in 211 ODI innings, the highest in women’s cricket altogether.

Mithali played in six 50-over World Cups for India and led them in four of those editions. In the 2022 World Cup, Mithali surpassed Australia’s Belinda Clark to become the most capped skipper in Women’s World Cup history.

India featured in two finals under Mithali but ended on the losing side on both occasions. India failed to qualify for the knockout stage in the recent edition in New Zealand.

Also Read: I Would Love To Be In Administration If That Comes My Way – Mithali Raj