A look into former Indian skipper, Mithali Raj's relationship status and why she is still unmarried. From her terrible experience in arranged marriage setup to her wedding rumours with Shikhar Dhawan.
Mithali Raj is a former Indian cricketer who captained India's women's team from 2004 to 2022. Many people consider her the greatest cricketer in the history of Indian women's cricket. She is often referred to as the 'Lady Tendulkar of women's cricket', as she holds the record of hitting the most runs, 7,805, in ODIs. She is also the youngest cricketer (19 years 254 days) to score a double century in women's Test matches.
Mithali Raj also has the record of having the longest career (22 years 274 days) in women's ODIs. Not only this, Mithali has also scored the most consecutive fifties (7) in women's ODIs, and that too in the 2017 Women's Cricket World Cup. Courtesy of having so many incredible records in her name and surreal contributions to world cricket, Mithali Raj has won a series of awards and accolades.
For the uninitiated, Mithali Raj has been bestowed with the Arjuna Award, Padma Shri, Vogue Sportsperson of the Year, Wisden Leading Woman Cricketer in the World, Khel Ratna Award, and many more. Regarding her journey with the national team, she received the runners-up medal in the 2005 and 2017 Women's Cricket World Cup. Apart from this, Mithali won five Asia Cups and finished as runners-up at the 2018 Asia Cup with the Indian team.
Despite being one of the greatest women cricketers in the world, Mithali Raj didn't achieve much success in her love life. For the uninitiated, the iconic cricketer is still unmarried and turned 42 on December 3, 2024. People often wonder why such an incredibly talented, successful, and humble cricketer like Mithali is still single at the age of 42. Well, in an old interview with Mid-Day, Mithali shared that she didn't get enough attention in her life. She said:
"To be honest, I don't really get attention the same way that the men's team gets from their female fans."
In the same interview, when Mithali Raj was asked about her marriage plans, the former captain of the Indian women's cricket team revealed that she's 'happy' being single. The former cricketer admitted that there was a time when she used to think about marriage during her younger days, but as of now, the concept of marriage no longer excites her. She said:
"Marriage used to cross my mind long time back, when I was very young. But it doesn't cross my mind now when I see married people. I am very happy being single."
In a candid conversation with Ranveer Allahabadia on his podcast, Mithali Raj talked about the idea of marriage. Recalling the incident that made her lose interest in marriage, Mithali shared that a family, along with their son, came to their home to see her. During the meeting with the to-be-groom, Mithali informed him about her plans to continue cricket even after their marriage. Unfortunately, the boy told Mithali that she had to quit cricket after marriage and that she had to look after their kids and parents. She said:
"I was the current India captain then, and he said, "Aapko cricket chodni padegi because after marriage you'll have to look after the kids.""
In an old interview with Sportskeeda, Mithali Raj opened up about her marriage and retirement plans. The former Indian skipper said she would continue playing cricket until her body and fitness allow her to do that. She also added that playing cricket after marriage depends on whether her in-laws support her. However, Mithali clearly stated that playing cricket after marriage is part of her plans, and if her physique supports her, she will continue playing cricket. She said:
"This is something that I have not given a thought about. But yes, if I remain fit and get enough support from my family then, of course, why not!"
In May 2024, reports were rife that Mithali Raj and Shikhar Dhawan are reportedly getting married. As time passed, the speculations started getting a bit serious as people quickly joined the dots and started speculating that after Shikhar's divorce from Ayesha Mukherjee, he was getting married to Mithali. However, on his show, Dhawan Karenge, Shikhar addressed his wedding rumours with Mithali. The cricketer officially ended all the speculations by clearly stating that all the rumours were false. He said:
"I heard that I was getting married to Mithali Raj."
What are your thoughts on Mithali Raj being single at the age of 42? Do you wish to see her getting married in the coming years? Let us know.
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