I would have retired if India had won the World Cup in 2017: Mithali Raj

Indian batting legend Mithali Raj recently said that she would have retired from the sport had the country won the Women's World Cup in 2017. After having played for so many years, she feels that the World Cup is the only real achievement that has eluded her.

The Indian middle-order batswoman shared this insight while speaking on the Star Sports Telugu TV Series.

"I thought let me give a try in 2017 World Cup. Then I really worked hard for that World Cup. As a player, as a captain, I did a lot of homework. I thought when we were in the finals, if we win the finals, then I will retire," Mithali Raj said.

The Indian women’s team reached the finals in the 2017 and 2020 editions but fell at the last hurdle. They lost to England in 2017 and to Australia 3 years later.

“After playing so many years, probably I had everything, except the World Cup. So, we were runners-up in the 2017 and 2020 editions. I am going to give another try and hopefully with everybody’s wishes and God-willing we should crack it,” added Mithali Raj.

The twelfth edition of the Women’s Cricket World Cup will be held in New Zealand in the summer of 2021.

This is excellent news . Our ODI World Cup campaign to finally kick start . A big thank you to @SGanguly99 @BCCI @JayShah and thank you @BoriaMajumdar for your support to women’s cricket . https://t.co/JpJSMGapzV

— Mithali Raj (@M_Raj03) August 2, 2020

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Women’s cricket had to come under BCCI much earlier: Mithali Raj

The Indian women’s ODI team skipper also opined that it would have been better for women’s cricket in the country to have been brought under the BCCI much earlier. It was brought under the ambit of the apex body only in 2006-07.

Money was a big issue in the game back then. It hampered the chances of a lot of players opting for it as a profession, and one can play the game only for so long if it is purely for passion according to the 37-year-old.

“Many talented players at that time, because of lack of money, had to shift to different fields. For, after 23-24 years, parents will ask what is next? If they had said - ‘I don’t earn money, I am playing for passion’ - nobody would buy that line of thinking.”

Mithali Raj debuted in ODIs for India in 1999 at the age of 16. She holds the distinction of being the first Indian women's cricketer to score 1000 runs in World Cup matches.