Indian stalwart Mithali Raj added another feather to her cap as she started her sixth ICC Women's World Cup Campaign on Sunday, against Pakistan, becoming the first woman to do so.
She is also only the third cricketer– male or female– to participate in six ICC World Cups and she has ensured the record enters a new decade as former Pakistan cricketer Javed Miandad appeared in the first six Men's Cricket World Cups between 1975 and 1996 and Sachin Tendulkar played six beginning with the 1992 World Cup.
By the time Tendulkar's fairy-tale finish came in 2011, Mithali had already captained India at a World Cup after having made her tournament debut in 2000.
Leading India in the opening game of their World Cup campaign on Sunday, the 39-year-old skipper won the toss and elected to bat first but could manage to score only nine runs in 36 deliveries before being caught by Pakistan Diana Baig off Nashra Sandhu's bowling.
As skipper the records keep coming, the right-hander now equals Australian legend Belinda Clark by captaining at her fourth ICC Women's World Cup -- Clark's tenure spanning from 1993 to 2005, according to ICC.
Clark and Mithali stand as the only two players to have captained their country at more than two World Cups. But Mithali also eclipses her fellow batter as the span between first captaining her country and the current outing stretches 17 years, the Australian's tenure as skipper came across 12.
And it is not just her captaincy that is breaking records -- Mithali's World Cup career now spans more than two decades with no women ever having played in ICC Women's World Cups 20 years apart.
It was New Zealand Debbie Hockley who previously held the record having made her debut on 10 January 1982 with her last match the 2000 final on December 23, 24 days after Mithali's debut.
And it is this standard that the 39-year-old Mithali continually finds herself amongst -- only Hockley (45) and England's Jan Brittin (36) have played more World Cup games.
In moving to six World Cup appearances, Raj leaves behind the company of England duo Charlotte Edwards, Clare Taylor and Hockley as the only other women to have made five appearances at a Women's World Cup.
(With inputs from IANS)
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