Mithali Raj
Mithali Raj with the World Cup (Credits: Twitter)

India legend Mithali Raj has lauded the efforts taken by the cricket board to give women’s cricket its due priority. Her appreciation comes after the board scheduled the Women’s T20 Challenge in the UAE  and their tour to Sri Lanka. This comes after the women’s team saw a tough past few months.

The India women’s team suffers with no selection panel at place, their tri-series against England and South Africa was called off, and their was no clarity when the team will resume its training in the past few months.

Mithali Raj, BCCI, Women's IPL, India, Women's T20 Challenge
Skippers of last year’s Women’s T20 Challenge, Mithali Raj, Smriti Mandhana, and Harmanpreet Kaur. (Image Credits: Twitter)

Mithali Raj: BCCI is pushing forward or giving women’s cricket

Mithali Raj said that the cricket board has prioritized women’s cricket as it has taken steps to host the women’s IPL is such difficult situation. The tournament is scheduled to take place in the UAE in the first week of November with the women’s Big Bash League coinciding at that time.

“For BCCI, women’s cricket is a priority because hosting the women’s IPL in such difficult times, that itself tells they want to have the continuity going from the last edition into this year. Even though we will miss out on world-class players, I think it will give an opportunity for young players and a lot of uncapped domestic players to get some matches,” Mithali Raj told India Today Sports Consulting Editor, Boria Majumdar in the latest episode of India Today Inspiration.

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Mithali Raj
PTI Photo

“I think in another 2 year’s time we will have a platform to have women’s’ IPL too. Somewhere hosting the women’s IPL and giving us the prime time and giving us the venue to play says that the BCCI is pushing forward or giving women’s cricket the kind of priority that we women’s cricketers need.

“Also, getting these bilateral series going, on the whole, I don’t see how we are not looked after, we are well looked after by the BCCI and the players definitely are looking forward to playing in the UAE.”

Mithali Raj is in twilight zone of her career. But she has already contributed enough of the national team in her decorated career and which will be taken as an inspiration for the next generation of cricketers. Mithali Raj is the most capped women’s player in ODIs and still has a bit of service left to do for the national team.

Raj, with 6888 runs to her name, is also the highest run scorer in Women’s ODI. She has scored these runs in her long and successful career spanning from 1999 at an average of 50.64. She has the high score of an unbeaten 125 with seven centuries and 53 half-centuries to her name.

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