“I will treasure this forever” - Mithali Raj overwhelmed by PM Modi’s letter, acknowledging her contribution to cricket

Former India women's captain Mithali Raj has thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his letter to the former cricketer, praising her contribution to the game. Mithali described it as a matter of honor and pride to receive such praise from the PM of the country, adding that she would treasure it forever.

Taking to her official social media handle on Saturday (July 2), the 39-year-old shared the letter she received from Modi. While uploading the same, she wrote:

“It’s a matter of singular honour & pride when one receives such warm encouragement from our Hon'ble PM Shri @narendramodi ji, who is a role model & inspiration for millions including me. I am overwhelmed by this thoughtfully worded acknowledgment of my contribution to cricket.”

Mithali, who is an icon when it comes to women’s cricket in India, added while posting the PM’s letter:

“I will treasure this forever. I feel inspired and encouraged for my next chapter and will strive hard to live up to the expectations of our Hon'ble PM in contributing towards the growth of Indian sports. 🙏”

Mithali retired from international cricket last month as the all-time leading run-getter in women’s cricket. She amassed 7805 ODI runs in 232 matches at an average of 50.68.

The legendary former cricketer also scored 2364 runs in 89 T20Is and 699 runs in 12 Tests. She is the leading run-getter in women’s ODI cricket as well as the only female batter to have notched up over 7000 runs in the format.

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What PM Modi wrote in praise of Mithali Raj

Indian PM Modi congratulated Mithali Raj for an extremely successful career and also termed her as an inspiration for budding sportspersons. In his letter, the PM wrote:

“You have served Indian cricket for over two decades. You are blessed with the necessary talent, tenacity and transformative edge needed to excel over the years. This zeal has not only helped you but also inspired several other budding sportspersons.”

The letter added:

“One way to view your career is through the numbers. During your long sporting career, there are many records that have been broken as well as created by you. These accomplishments, including you being the top run-scorer in women’s international cricket, speak volumes about your abilities.

"But, at the same time, your success is beyond statistics and records. You are a trend-setter, an athlete, who has broken many a glass ceiling and a phenomenal source of motivation for others.”

Following Mithali Raj’s retirement, T20I skipper Harmanpreet Kaur was named India’s new ODI captain for the ongoing series in Sri Lanka.