Mithali Raj an ‘incredible ambassador’ for cricket, says Sania Mirza

What’s the story?

After a stupendous run in the ICC Women’s World Cup 2017, Mithali Raj and her team earned accolades from every nook and corner of the world. Most recently, it was Indian tennis star Sania Mirza who showered praise on Mithali, calling her an incredible ambassador.

“Mithali (Raj) has been performing amazingly for many years; she is an incredible ambassador for the game of cricket,” Mirza said, lauding the skipper of the Indian Women’s team.

Mirza also highlighted the importance of girls being appreciated for their performances “I really hope this appreciation that all the girls are getting continues because they deserve it,” she added.

In case you didn’t know…

The Indian Women’s team played exceptionally well to reach the final of the prestigious tournament. However, they stumbled at the finishing line against England and lost the game by nine runs.

The Women in Blue were in contention for a victory for most of the match. However, a flurry of wickets in the death overs derailed India’s momentum after which they couldn’t recover. This was India’s second Women's World Cup final following the one in 2005 where they lost by 98 runs to Australia.

The details

Mithali was dismissed cheaply in the final, but impressed one and all with her calm temperament over the course of the tournament. During India’s league game against Australia, she became the highest ever run scorer in Women's One Day Internationals, surpassing former English skipper Charlotte Edwards.

Later on, she became the first woman cricketer to score 6000 ODI runs. Earlier in the tournament, she became the first woman to notch up seven consecutive half-centuries in ODIs. She is also the record holder for the most number of fifties in the 50-over format in women’s cricket, with 49.

Reactions

Even after the Indian team's loss in the final, people didn’t shy away from showing their support for the side. People took to Twitter to shower their praises on the vibrant Indian cricketers.

Me and all of India prouder even in this loss than you can ever be mate.We fought well &will only get better & stronger.Enjoy for a change! https://t.co/Dv1gn2jpWn

— Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) July 23, 2017

You made us dream,You made us believe,We're proud of all you girls!Real honor to hve watched u play!?? #WWC17Final #WWCFinal17 #INDvENG

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi177) July 23, 2017

This one will hurt a long, long time. You sense that Mithali and Jhulan, who won't play another World Cup, will never get over it. #WWC17

— Dileep Premachandran (@SpiceBoxofEarth) July 23, 2017

Author’s take

Before the tournament began, very few people were aware of the Women’s World Cup, which was a little disheartening. Even during India’s thumping win against Pakistan, there was hardly any buzz among the people compared to what we saw when the men's sides faced each other in the Champions Trophy.

However, with the passage of time, things turned for the better and eventually the event garnered the highest viewership among all Women’s World Cups. India might have lost the final, but a new era in Indian Women’s Cricket is here.