Cricketer Mithali Raj shatters stereotypes, records: A look at her feats

Mithali Raj's fine knock of 75 not out on Saturday guided India to their first win of their England tour, beating Heather Knight's women by four wickets. While doing so, Mithali also earned the top honour of becoming the world's leading run-scorer across all formats in women's cricket with 10,377 runs.

A trailblazer in women's cricket, the new record, which saw her overtake former England skipper Charlotte Edwards, is the latest feather in a cap that holds numerous feats. The only title that has eluded her thus far is that of a world cup winner, which she will have a final shot at earning next year.

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Her monumental feat saw her earn plaudits from all corners, with former India international Wasim Jaffer taking to Twitter congratulating her with a dialogue from Netflix show Sacred Games.

As greetings continue to pour in, here's a look at the records shattered by the Jodhpur-born cricketer during her long, illustrious career.

Longest ODI career: No female cricketer has played One Day Internationals (ODIs) for as long as Mithali has – 22 years and seven days – a record she achieved during the first ODI against hosts England.

Youngest woman to score a 100: Raj, who debuted for India in an ODI against Ireland on June 26, 1999, scored 114 runs, making her not just the youngest woman cricketer to score a century, but also the youngest to score a century on debut at the age of 16 years, 205 days.

Youngest woman to score a double century: She is the youngest woman to score a double century in international cricket. The India skipper scored 214 runs against England in a Test match on August 14, 2002, at the age of 19 years and 254 days.

Most matches as captain: No woman cricketer has led their country's ODI side more than Mithali Raj, who has captained India a record 140 times since 2004.

Most consecutive fifties: Mithali Raj picked up seven consecutive fifties in 2017, the first against Sri Lanka, four times against South Africa, and one each against Bangladesh and England. The first three came in ICC World Cup qualifiers in Sri Lanka – 70 not out against the hosts, 64 against South Africa, and 73 not out against Bangladesh. She scored the next three half-centuries in the Women's Quadrangular series in South Africa – 51 not out, 54, and 62 not out against the hosts. Her final fifty came against England in Derby.

Highest batting average: The 38-year-old also currently holds the record for highest batting average in the T20 format, with a mean score of 37.52 spanning 89 innings from 2006-2019.