India’s ODI captain Mithali Raj wants to say goodbye to her country next year by winning the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup in New Zealand.
Why does Mithali Raj want to win?
India’s ODI captain Mithali Raj confirmed that the 2021 ICC Women’s World Cup will be her last global tournament and she hopes to win a trophy.
While a World Cup win would be a phenomenal personal achievement for the most productive runscorer in women’s ODIs, Raj is keen to win the trophy as this could further increase the rate at which young girls take up the game in India.
“Event 2021 will obviously be my last World Cup and I hope India wins the trophy,” Raj said to Aaj Tak. World Cup fame is not only a great achievement for the team, it will also advance women’s cricket in India. We saw that the 2017 World Cup also had a positive impact, “said Raj.
Raj, who retired from the game’s shortest format last year, believes winning a 50-overs World Championship is the culmination of most cricketer’s career, and hoped that India, which has recently been to ICC tournaments was awarded for women would do so Go one step further than 2017 when they lost to England Women in the final at Lord’s.
“Winning an ICC event, whether in ODIs or T20I, will be a massive inspiration for the next generation of girls, but the 2021 World Cup over 50 will be a highlight of any cricketer. And I really hope I hope India can do better than in the last issue. “
“India has done very well in ICC tournaments over the past three or four years, whether it’s the (ODI) World Cup or the recent T20 World Cup,” she added.
Raj thought about how times have changed since their debut. With central contracts and a higher profile, cricketers who come through the system are committed professionals who earn with the game.
“Since my childhood as a national player, there is a big difference in the popularity of women cricket, because when I made my debut as a 16 year old, I learned a lot of lessons on the tour, but someone like Shafali Verma comes fully prepared.
After playing tournaments like the Challenger Trophy has had a lot of experience in home setup, “said Raj, adding that key contracts have played a role in keeping women in the game.
“There were no contracts for players in the past, but we now have central contracts and BCCI takes care of the players. This ensures that players remain committed to the game in search of a different profession as cricket has become a permanent source is income. “