It seems breaking records is second nature to Mithali Raj, the highest ODI run-scorer in women cricket. The cool-headed Mithali is India’s go-to person in pressure situations. Absorbing the pressure becomes even more crucial in a runchase. Assessing the situation and taking calculating risks is something which comes with experience, which is exactly what Mithali did in a low-scoring affair against New Zealand in 2nd ODI on January 29.
Mithali played an unbeaten knock of 63 runs off 111 deliveries helping India chase down 162 without breaking a sweat. Her career’s 52nd half-century also helped her record an average of 111.29 in successful ODI runchases. Meanwhile, she went past MS Dhoni (103.27) and Virat Kohli (96.23) recording the highest batting average in successful ODI runchases (men or women).
Despite the match-winning knock, people felt that Mithali unnecessarily played with a slower strike rate. Also, that Smriti Mandhana’s inning of 90 from 83 deliveries was the only knock that mattered. But both players taking on the bowlers wasn’t the need of the hour. After two early wickets, Mithali tried rebuilding the innings instead of taking unnecessary pressure because the required run rate was not alarming.
Digging a little deep into the statistics, Mithali has scored 1,892 runs off 48 innings for India in successful ODI run chases. The 36-year-old has remained not out on 31 occasions. The reason why India’s ODI skipper’s average is so high.
ALSO WATCH:
