Mithali Raj becomes First Indian Woman Cricketer to Score 10,000 Runs in International Cricket

By: WE Staff | Friday, 12 March 2021

Captain of women's national cricket team, Mithali Raj has become the first Indian batsman to score 10,000 runs in women's international cricket, and just the second female player internationally.

The first woman to complete 20 years in international cricket, Mithali raj is a right-handed opening batsman and occasional right-arm leg-break bowler. 

Commenting on Raj’s achievement, fellow teammate SmrithiMandanna said, "Getting to 10,000 runs first or second is a huge thing. She is the first Indian to do that, so I think it is something that shows how consistent she has been throughout her career. We have looked up to her, definitely a very proud feeling for all of us in the team.”

On this achievement of Mithali, Sachin Tendulkar took to Twitter saying, Heartiest congratulation Mithali on completing 10,000 runs in International Cricket. Terrific achievement..., Keep going strong!"

Raj was bowled off the next pitch, meaning she'll have to wait a little longer to hit another big milestone: she's now 26 runs away from being the first batsman in women's ODI history to reach 7000 runs. 

Charlotte Edward, an English female cricketer is the only other woman to have scored 10,000 international runs. She made 10,273 runs overall, in a career that stretched from 1996 to 2016.

Raj is the highest run-scorer in women's international cricket and the only female cricketer to surpass the 6,000 run mark in women's ODI. She is also the first player to score seven consecutive 50s in ODIs. Raj also has set the record of most half-centuries in WODIs. Among both males and females, she became the first to score 2000 runs in T20Is, and the first women cricketer to reach 2002 WT20I runs.

She is the only female cricketer who has captained India more than one ICC ODI Worlds Cup final and the first woman to play in 200 ODI matches.

She has received several international awards, including the Wisden Leading Woman Cricketer in the World in 2017, Arjuna Award in 2003, and the Padma Shri in 2015, both by the Government of India.

In 2019 Raj announced her retirement from T20Is to focus on ODI cricket.