Former India women’s captain Mithali Raj expressed gratitude towards the mentors, coaches and teammates who shaped her cricketing journey after being presented with the BCCI Lifetime Achievement Award for Women at the BCCI Naman Awards 2026.
The veteran cricketer described the recognition as more than just a personal achievement, emphasising the collective support system that contributed to her success across a distinguished international career.
“I think there are so many people who played a huge role in my career, not just my parents. Of course, I’ve had a lot of support from them and every other coach and player, different mentors. But as a sport, I’ve seen the evolution of women’s cricket, and there are so many other people that I need to acknowledge,” Mithali said.
She also reflected on the recent progress of Indian cricket across different levels, highlighting the performances of both senior teams and age-group sides in international competitions.
“The last 2-3 years, Indian cricket, men or women or the under-19 girls or boys, they’ve been doing immensely well. It’s a proud moment as a former cricketer to see the growth of Indian cricket. For the longest time, I wanted Indian cricket to dominate, and the time has come,” she said.
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Mithali further spoke about the gradual development of women’s cricket and the influence of leading male cricketers who served as sources of inspiration during her playing days.
“Well, I think everything takes time. Even women’s cricket had its own journey, so did men’s cricket. But we’ve taken a lot of inspiration from the men cricketers,” she said.
She specifically highlighted the guidance she received from Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar through interactions at the National Cricket Academy and the Centre of Excellence.
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“I’ve taken inspiration from Rahul and Sachin because whenever I’ve bumped into them in NCA or the COE, they’ve always had a lot to chat about, sport about, batting, and the advice and suggestions really worked for me when I was playing. This interaction between the men and women, I think, helps the women cricketers greatly because we’re always trying to catch up with the standards of men’s cricket. In that context, both of them have been doing well,” Mithali added.
Mithali was honoured for her outstanding contribution to the women’s game during a career spanning more than two decades. She remains the highest run-scorer in women’s ODIs with 7,805 runs and played a pivotal role in elevating the profile of women’s cricket in India.
As captain, she guided India to two ICC Women’s World Cup finals, inspiring a new generation of cricketers and strengthening the team’s presence on the global stage.
