Cricket: ‘I don’t look to please people’, Mithali Raj on criticism regarding her strike rate

India women’s Test and ODI skipper Mithali Raj on Saturday became highest run-getter across format in women's cricket. She exceeded past former England cricketer Charlotte Edwards, surpassing her aggregate of 10,273 runs.

Mithali Raj arrived at the accomplishment during last ODI against has England. While pursuing a 220-run target, the Indian captain played a significant thump of 75 not out, directing her side to a 4-wicket win. She was the reliable entertainer with the bat in the three-match series, scoring 206 runs at an average of 103. In any case, she was reprimanded for her strike rate.

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At the point when gotten some information about something similar during the post-match presser, the batting sensation said she is centered around aiding the team and satisfying her obligations instead of looking for 'validation from people'.

"I do read the criticism about my strike rate but as I've said earlier also, I don't seek validation from people," Raj, the India Test and ODI captain, said after sealing a 220-run chase and her side's thrilling four-wicket win on Saturday in Worcester with an unbeaten 75. "I have played for a long time, and I know that I have a certain responsibility in the team. I don't look to please people, I'm here to play the role that's assigned to me accordingly, by the team management," she said.

Mithali Raj indented up three successive half-centuries in the ODIs against England. Her team may have lost the series 1-2 however she kept stacking up runs and mooring the middle-order. The 38-year-old currently has more than 7300 runs in ODIs, 2364 runs in T20Is, and 669 runs in Test matches.

"When you're chasing a target, you pick your bowlers, you pick the length, and you pick the areas. And because I am in good flow, I know I need to make the best use of me in the middle. In a way the batting unit revolves around me - that's the job that's been given to me by the coach," she said,

"I look to not get bogged down because somewhere I do know that the top order is already in the dugout and it was important for me to understand the situation how I can manoeuvre and try to get the match as close as possible with the batters who are yet to come and the batters that I had in the middle. And I guess I need to give credit also to Sneh Rana because that partnership was very, very crucial. She kept her calm, which is very important in such situations," she added

Team Indian will now face the hosts in a three-match T20I series, which starts on July 9 in Northampton.