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Mithali Raj Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated September 29, 2026 • 4 min read

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Quick Info

Date of birth3 December 1982

Age42 Years

BirthplaceJodhpur, Rajasthan, India

ProfessionCricketer

NationalityIndian

Marital statusUnmarried

FamilyFather: Dorai Raj; Mother: Leela Raj; Brother: Mithun Raj

Mithali Raj Biography

Mithali Dorai Raj is one of India's most decorated women cricketers, known for a long international career, record-breaking run tallies across formats, and

Early life and background

Mithali Dorai Raj was born on 3 December 1982 in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, into a Tamil family. Her father, Dorai Raj, served in the Indian Air Force and later worked at Andhra Bank; her mother, Leela Raj, was employed in the engineering instruments division of Lawrence and Mayo. Mithali grew up in Secunderabad, where she attended Keyes High School For Girls and Kasturba Gandhi Junior College for Women in West Marredpally. She completed education up to the 12th standard.

Mithali’s first interests included dance; she trained in Bharatanatyam and pursued it until about eighth grade before focusing fully on cricket. Her introduction to the sport came through accompanying her elder brother, Mithun, to early morning coaching sessions. Coaches who noticed her potential at a young age included Jyoti Prasad and Sampath Kumar, the latter becoming an important mentor who encouraged her parents to support a serious cricketing path.

Under that guidance, Mithali progressed through sub-junior, junior and senior levels, travelling widely for matches from a young age. Her family supported her development closely—her mother left work to help look after her needs and her father and brother remained involved throughout her rise.

Career

Mithali made her One Day International debut for India on 26 June 1999 at Milton Keynes, where she produced a memorable unbeaten hundred. She went on to represent India across formats: Test debut followed on 14 January 2002, and her T20 international debut came on 5 August 2006.

Over a career spanning more than two decades, Mithali became the highest run-scorer in women’s international cricket and set multiple records. She compiled one of the highest individual Test scores by a woman—214 against England at Taunton in 2002—and was the first woman to play 200 ODIs. In July 2017 she overtook the previous Women’s ODI run record and continued to extend her lead across formats, crossing major career milestones such as becoming the first Indian woman to reach 10,000 international runs and the second woman globally to do so.

Mithali was also notable for consistent run-making: she produced a run of seven consecutive ODI half-centuries, and she holds the mark for most consecutive Women's One Day Internationals played for a team (109). As a leader, she is the only player—male or female—to captain India in more than one ICC ODI World Cup final, leading the side in the finals of 2005 and 2017.

Her domestic career included representing Air India, Railways and selections to composite sides such as Asia Women XI and India Blue Women. She batted right-handed and bowled leg-break; her preferred scoring stroke was the cover drive. Coaches and mentors across her development included Jyoti Prasad, Sampath Kumar, Vinod Sharma and R. S. R. Murthy.

Retirements and final matches

Mithali announced her retirement from T20 internationals on 3 September 2019. She played her last T20 international on 9 March 2019 against England. Her final Test appearance came in late September to early October 2021 against Australia. She played her last ODI on 27 March 2022 against South Africa at Christchurch and announced her retirement from all forms of international cricket on 8 June 2022.

Public profile

Mithali has received several major honours for her contributions to sport. She earned the Arjuna Award in 2003, was named Wisden Indian Cricketer of the Year in 2015 and received the Padma Shri the same year. In 2021 she was awarded the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna, India’s highest sporting honour. Other recognitions include being named Vogue Sportsperson of the Year and inclusion on the BBC 100 Women list.

Known among fans as a devotee of the game’s finer details, Mithali is an avid reader and has often spoken about books and poetry she enjoys. She admires cricketers such as Sachin Tendulkar and Michael Clarke, and has been nicknamed for her batting excellence in comparison to Tendulkar. Outside cricket, she has appeared on popular Indian platforms and media: she featured on the cover of Vogue India in October 2017 and attended mainstream shows such as Kaun Banega Crorepati.

Personal life

Mithali remains unmarried. She is described as a Tamil by family heritage, practices Hinduism and lists hobbies such as dancing and reading. Her home is in a colony in Trimulgherry, north of Hyderabad. Her family includes her elder brother Mithun and her parents Dorai and Leela Raj.

Latest updates

Mithali’s international career officially concluded with her retirement announcement in June 2022. Her life and contributions were later dramatized on screen: a biopic on her life was produced, with Taapsee Pannu portraying her in the film Shabaash Mithu. During and after her career she continued to be recognised for her role in advancing women’s cricket in India.

Editorial Review and Sources

This F4U profile is written from publicly available career and profile information, then reviewed for clarity before publication. If you spot an outdated detail about Mithali Raj, send the page URL and a reliable correction source to f4udotin@gmail.com.

Reference context: StarsUnfolded

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Recent Work

Shabaash Mithu

Biopic in which Taapsee Pannu portrayed Mithali Raj

2022
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Career Highlights

  1. Highest run-scorer in women's international cricket
  2. 214 in Test cricket against England at Taunton (2002)
  3. First woman to play 200 ODIs
  4. First Indian woman to score over 10,000 international runs
  5. Captain of India in ICC ODI World Cup finals in 2005 and 2017
  6. Arjuna Award (2003), Padma Shri (2015), Wisden Indian Cricketer of the Year (2015), Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna (2021)
Reviewed by F4U Editorial Desk

F4U profile pages are prepared from public career information, checked for readability, and updated when reliable correction sources are shared with the editorial team.

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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Mithali Raj born?

Mithali Raj was born on 3 December 1982.

What is Mithali Raj known for?

Mithali Raj is known for cricketer.

What is Mithali Raj’s marital status?

Mithali Raj's marital status is listed as Unmarried.