Mithali Raj is no stranger to breaking records. From representing India on the cricket field at 19 to captaining the side two years later, her favourite pastime is breaking records. Consistency has been Mithali's middle name. The pin-up girl of Indian women's cricket has led the eves at two ODI World Cups. Recently, she topped the ICC women's ODI rankings, yet again. In a freewheeling interview with THE WEEK at a brief yoga camp at the Isha Foundation in Coimbatore, Mithali talked about her family, cricket, World Cup 2017 final, the Indian team and her marriage plans. Excerpts:
How does it feel to be the No 1 batswoman in the world?
Well, I have been ranked No 1 before. Between 2009 and 13, and again in 2014, I was No 1. But then, not many were following women’s cricket and it wasn’t a big news. This time it has coincided with the men’s rankings, and hence the awareness. It has always been special and nice to remain at the top because it reflects your consistency. But again, because it is a team game, you would also want to see the team right up there. If it’s a team game and your team is not in the top two or three, but you are No 1, it has more to do with the individual achievement than a team’s achievement.
What’s the secret to your consistency?
There’s no secret as such. I believe that my dad trained or groomed me in such a way that each time I walked on to the ground, be it a friendly game or an international game, he wanted me to perform whenever I touched the bat. That has been his mantra ever since I started playing cricket and it has stuck with me till date. Nothing gives me more satisfaction than scoring runs regularly for the team.
You spoke about your father. How has his Indian Air Force background helped you?
My dad knows what discipline is—what it takes to wake up in the morning and go through all that scheduling. That is exactly why I am in cricket. As a child, I loved to sleep and hated to get up early in the morning. And so, he introduced me to cricket to imbibe the quality of waking up early. My brother was playing for his school and had training in the mornings. I used to just tag along, though I still find it difficult to get up in the morning, after all these years (laughs). Also, he is very strict as a parent. He taught us to be punctual.
I can’t say he knew the nuances of the game or the basics. But once he realised that cricket is going to be my career, my dad used to be around for every training session. He also learnt the game from my coach Sampath Kumar along with me.
Dad is one of those people who has actually seen me grow as a player. He understands my thoughts when I don’t score runs or if I score well. More than being my dad, he is a mentor for me. I never had the passion for sports. It is something that happened by chance to me because of my dad.
My mom was a working woman, but she left her job for me and ensured that everything was ready on the platter when I came back home. My parents have really played a very important role in my career, especially in my initial years. When my parents were not around, it was my brother who used to accompany me to the training sessions. It would have been difficult if one of them had not played their part.
How has your life changed after the World Cup?
Before going to the World Cup, very few media people turned up and I was happy in a way with whatever little attention we got. Because we never got it before. When we started off, not many, including us, expected that we would reach the finals. All we wanted was to do well and reach the semis. Because, I knew that once we reached the semis it can be anybody's game. That’s what happened in the 2005 World Cup, too.
We didn't realise the magnitude of its impact on the sport in India. My parents kept me in the dark about it throughout the tournament. But when I came back, I was overwhelmed by the reaction of the people. I was swept off... it was like a tornado. We never expected things to be at this level. In 2005, when we were again the runners up, we came back to be received by our family members and a few reporters. I expected the same this time, too.
When I lost the finals, the first thought I had was that I probably have lost another chance to make this sport big in India. We knew a bit of what was happening because we are all on social media. I thought that we failed to convert this one opportunity into a big one.
But when I landed in Mumbai, and walked out of the airport, there were only flashes of light and the girls were like 'what's happening'. I didn't know whether to be happy because the result did not demand that I be happy. I had mixed feelings at that time. For the next two days we were travelling and meeting everyone.
But on the other side, I have hardly got time to spend with my parents at home. Life has taken a whole big turn after the World Cup.
What was the atmosphere in the dressing room after the semis?
Honestly, we didn't have time to let it sink in that we were playing in the finals. The semifinal was a rain-hit match. It went late into the night and then the next day we had to travel for four hours by road. The day after, we had the training and the subsequent day was the final. So, the girls were really finding it hard. I felt, maybe, if we had another day, we could have responded better. On the match day, I could actually sense that a lot of them were under pressure; for them to be in front of so many people. Each time I looked at the girls for support, they would be expecting me to be there for them.
We all wanted to bat first but then I lost the toss. But later, I felt that it was good in a way. To settle those nerves in the dressing room, it was important that all of us were together in the ground. Had we been batting first, there would be just two of us on the ground; the nervousness would have been even more. And we did well, considering England had scored two 300s in the World Cup and we managed to restrict them to 228.
How did you transform the team for this World Cup? What were the main areas you worked on?
I don’t think we, as a team, have weaknesses in terms of skill. We only lack in our mind because there are so many matches that we almost won and we gave up. Then we never make a comeback. Because both the teams are equally good, it boils down to who is mentally strong enough to absorb the pressure and win the match. That's where India always lose. So, in the 2013 World Cup, we lost to Sri Lanka. There was a lot of backlash because the team didn't do well in home conditions. But, not many at that point understood that we hardly had any preparation before the World Cup. Prior to that we played the Asia Cup in T20 format.
Between two World Cups, there is always a transition. The seniors go out and the juniors take their places. ICC Championships started only in 2013. The next year onwards we started playing matches where even the core players got the much-needed match practice and confidence. This team has the quality of making a comeback which the earlier teams didn’t have. That's something this team has developed in the World Cup.
Because now you have everything at your disposal, it is important that you come out with a result. Women’s cricket is now becoming more competitive, with the T20 format. The league system has impacted other sports, too. Now, everybody wants to prove their fitness level and play good cricket, which requires you to be professional and committed.
Do you think we missed out on capitalising on the attention women's cricket got after the World Cup, because of the long gap?
It was a long season, and there were a lot of injuries in the team. So, we needed this break to recover and for people to know more about women's cricket. In the events we have attended, people were curious to know more about the game and to take up cricket. Had we been into another series, maybe people would not have understood what it means and requires to be a woman cricketer. I wanted the series to be around December-January, which would have been ideal, but again we never had a calendar as such. The BCCI managed to get us a series in January. We are starting our domestic season in December.
I'm sure even the BCCI, like us, didn't expect things would take such a positive turn for women's cricket and they also probably needed some time to figure out how things should go on. The BCCI came in 2007 and since then, we had access to the facilities. For the past two years, we have been centrally-contracted players. But there is more to be done. The pool of players is not as good as that of men's cricket. This is something that we have discussed with them. Whoever is making her international debut has a lot of catching up to do because the gap between the standards of domestic and international cricket is huge. It takes at least 3-4 series to get used to the standards of international cricket. We must prepare a pool of at least 30 players. That's what the BCCI is working on.
Women's domestic cricket is not as vibrant as men's. How do you propose to bridge the gap?
It is easier to say that the BCCI is not taking much interest to develop women's cricket. But, I feel that we, as a society, also do not encourage young girls to take up cricket. I was one of those fortunate ones who had a school team, back in the 90s. That’s how I started playing. Now, we don't get to see school or league matches. You need to give it at the right time. Now, by the time you get selected you are already 25-26 and have already lost a considerable number of your cricketing years. You need to have girls starting to play as young as 10-11 years old. For that, you need to give them that opportunity and interest. How do you develop that interest? By having your own home competitions, school competitions. Because, if you start playing at 16, you will never be the mature player who is ready to face the challenges in U-16 and U-19. Ideally, the BCCI and even schools should take the initiative to have games at that levels.
What’s your interest level in premier leagues?
The first time I got an offer, there was a lot of uncertainty in the BCCI. Two or three have got into the big bash league, since then. But, right now, given my age and experience, it is important that I mentor young girls in domestic cricket. There has to be somebody to nurture them. I know that I still have two-three years of international cricket left in me. The leagues will help the young girls who have 5-6 years of international cricket experience, whereas I have played a lot more one-dayers than T20s and Tests. So, for me, T20 can just be an experience but I don’t know how it will help me as a player. But, if I can share my experience with the young lot, I am preparing them for another 3-4 years. This is the best way at the moment because if I have to coach I have to wait for another 5-6 years.
How are you preparing for the T20 World Cup next year in the West Indies?
T20 is something the team is still not good at. Having said that, we still have around 11 months. We have to prepare and give it our best shot. The upcoming series with Australia and England will be important. It will give us a clearer picture on what we lack, before the World Cup. Since the World Cup is in the West Indies, the wickets are going to be similar to that in India. So, the team will work on the combinations. Honestly, it has to start now. We are working on fitness and fielding currently. The Indian team never lacks skill but our fitness needs to be upgraded and our fielding needs to be worked upon, which will definitely help the T20 format. We are having a camp in Bengaluru.
While our male cricketers are getting married at the prime of their careers, you seem to have put the matter in cold storage. At least for now...
As a girl, I have also felt the pressure of marriage. I think becoming financially and economically independent has helped me take a more stronger perspective, whether it goes down well with people or not. When you give up so much to have a long career at the highest level, it requires a lot of commitment and sacrifices, and to get married only because it is a societal norm—I wouldn’t do that. My mom wanted me to get married, but understood my point after I explained it to her. My dad was quite supportive and said that just because I was a girl, 'you have never been a burden on us. You are independent, we have looked after you till 25, and after that it was all your choice, and whether it is good or bad, we are there to support you as parents'. I think his words gave me a lot of confidence.
It’s not that I have written off marriage, but I will get married to someone who sees me as a companion and not as a housewife. Someone who understands me, sees me for what I am and treats me as an equal. I can’t even cook to save my life, and tomorrow, after marriage, I wouldn’t know what to do. So, if someone is expecting me to behave like a normal girl, doing household work, I wouldn’t be able to do that. So, if there is somebody who can accept all these, I’m willing to marry. Also, something I am very clear about in my mind is that if I am getting married, I wouldn’t continue playing cricket because I cannot manage both; it is difficult. Any relationship needs time to nurture.
Everything evolves and changes, even the culture that we follow has gone through a lot of changes. Nothing is permanent. Obviously, the male cricketers have their family being looked after by their wives. But if I have a guy who is strong enough to play that role, then why not?
What’s your fitness mantra?
All these years, I have worked on the body and fitness. We have trainers and physios who give us specific schedules even in the off season. For someone like me, in early 30s, the focus is on maintaining the current fitness levels. I can’t compare myself with someone in their 20s. I would definitely want to continue and progress a little but not come down.
I was never into yoga before. This is the first time I have done it and the last three days (at the Isha Foundation) have seen a change in me, in terms of my thought processes. I guess it will take a lot of time for me to use it as an everyday tool. But again, what’s life without challenges.
