Mithali Raj gets Khel Ratna Award; 1st ever woman cricketer to receive honour

India Women's Cricket Team captain Mithali Raj was on Saturday conferred with the highest sporting honour of India, Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award, by President by Ram Nath Kovind. In a function organized at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Mithali Raj was conferred with the honour. Mithali Raj is the first-ever women cricketer to be a recipient of this honour. 

Besides Mithali Raj, Neeraj Chopra (Javelin), Ravi Dahiya (Wrestling), Sunil Chhetri (Football), Mithali Raj (Cricket), P Sreejesh (Hockey), Lovlina Borgohain (Boxing), Pramod Bhagat (Para-badminton player), Avani Lekhara (Para rifle shooter), Sumit Antil (Para javelin thrower), Krishna Nagar (Para-badminton), Manish Narwal (Para pistol shooter), Manpreet Singh (Hockey) have also been awarded  Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna. 

Mithali Raj gets Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award

A force to reckon with, Mithali Raj made her debut in the world of cricket on June 26, 1999. In a career that spanned 22 years- the second-longest in both men’s and women’s cricket- Mithali Raj, the right-handed batsman, was a part of 12 tests, 220 One Day Internationals, and 89 T20 matches. On the ICC ODI players ranking, Mithali Raj ranks 2nd worldwide. 

Mithali Raj has many records in her name. The Indian captain holds the record for the youngest player to score a century in ODI cricket and also the record for the youngest player to hit a double century in Test cricket. The 38-year-old also holds seven consecutive ODI half-centuries and many more. Moreover, she also has the record of most matches as a captain. 

Tapsee Panu playing Mithali Raj in the Team Captain's biopic sends wishes 

Tapsee Panu, who is going to play Mithali Raj in the Women Indian cricket team Captain's biopic titled Shabaas, was one of the first ones to send her wishes. Taking to her official Twitter handle, the actor wrote, "Just by hearing this exhaustingly long introduction of her accolades I feel she actually deserve a series made on her, not just a film." She added, "So inspiring". 

Image: ANI