Cricket has been growing really well in India. Well, men’s cricket has grown immensely after the 1983 World cup win. At the same time, women’s cricket has also shown some resiliency and outstanding performance from time to time. We always talk about the greats in men’s cricket so why not learn about the top players in women’s cricket. So here we bring you the top 5 Indian Women Cricketers of all time.
There are a number of great female cricketers who represented India over time. We have compiled a list of some Indian players who played a very important role in building the Indian women’s cricket team. To be honest it was a tough one to create a list of these top players from so many successful and experienced figures in Indian women’s cricket. So, without further ado, let us have a look at the Top 5 Indian Women Cricketers of All Time
1. Mithali Raj
There is no list of the top Indian women’s cricketers that didn’t consist of Mithali Raj in it. She’s been the trophy of Indian cricket since the retirement of Purnima Rau. Whichever format she plays, records follow her. She has been the Indian skipper for the longest term now and still holds the team’s responsibility in test Cricket.
She started her international career when she was just 19 years old and straightway she was in the headlines as she scored a magnificent 214 against England that too in Taunton. Mithali is also known for occasionally showing her bowling skills as in the early 2000s she added a dash of variety to India’s bowling attack. She also played a major role in India’s first-ever test series victory in England in 2006. Under her captaincy, India won four straight Asia Cup titles. However, she also saw her ups and downs as a bad tour of England made her lose the captaincy to Jhulan Goswami but she regained it later.
What makes Mithali Raj one of the best Indian cricketers is her records. She has scored 7 consecutive 50s in ODIs, the first-ever player to do so. Raj also holds the record for the most half-centuries in women’s ODI as she has scored 55 half-centuries. During the 2018 Women’s Twenty20 Asia Cup, Mithali Raj also became the first player to score 2000 plus runs in T20Is along with it she also became the first woman player to reach 2000 T20 runs.
2. Jhulan Goswami
Jhulan Goswami alongside Mithali Raj has served the Indian women’s team for the longest time and still offers their services for the nation. Jhulan Goswami is the cricketer from Bengal who happens to be one of the most vicious competitors we have ever seen.
With accolades like ICC Women’s Player of the year 2007 and Best Women Cricketer in 2011, she is also the first in ICC Women’s ODI bowling rankings. Jhulan is the leading wicket-taker with 228 wickets in ODI cricket and as of now, no one is close to her at all. She is also among the fastest playing bowlers in world women’s cricket.
3. Diana Edulji
Another name that you might have never heard of. Diana Edulji is a former Indian women’s test cricketer as she holds the record for playing the most balls in history(5098+ balls). She can be regarded as the Rahul Dravid of women’s cricket.
Diana won the famous Arjuna Award in 1983, the same year when the men’s team won their first world cup. She was also awarded one of the most prestigious civilian honors of Padma Shri in 2002. You will be astonished to listen to this story but it shows her dedication to the game. She lost her four front teeth while playing yet she kept playing and finished the innings. Diana is often regarded as one of the greatest Indian women cricketers of all time.
4. Anjum Chopra
The cricketer turned commentator, Anjum was the left-handed batter and right-arm medium-fast bowler. She played 12 tests and 116 ODIs for India. She also played a crucial role in revolutionizing women’s cricket in India. She is often regarded as the face of women’s cricket in India as a player, captain, motivational speaker, actor, and author.
While playing her second series against England she was awarded player of the series. She scored runs at an average of 67.5 in that series. It was just the start of her career. She had been coached by other top players like Sunita Sharma, Tarak Sinha, and Hardeep Dua.
5. Purnima Rau
You may have never heard about this player but that’s the point of creating this list so we can make you aware of such talented players we had over time. The former cricketer from Hyderabad was one of the first Indian women players who used to play smashing cricket just like Sehwag.
When she started her career she was a middle-order batter but she doubled her runs and career as an opener in her later years. She was also respected by many of her juniors because of her capability to teach young players around her. The top players like Anjum Chopra, Anju Jain, Mithali Raj all learned cricket under her belt. Purnima was also regarded as an off-break bowler as she broke many partnerships at crucial times. She might not have much experience on the International level but she has some commendable records in national-level cricket.
She is also regarded as the most complete all-rounder in Indian women’s cricket. She played most of her cricket in the middle order and bowled right-arm off-spin. Purnima Rau is currently affiliated with the development of youth and women’s cricketers in Hyderabad. She was also the coach of the Indian women’s cricket team four years back. Before she was relieved from her duties as coach of India Women’s cricket team by the BCCI in April 2017.
Endnotes
These are the Top 5 Indian Women Cricketers of All Time. All these great female cricketers represented Indians at the highest level and showed the world they can also be the talk of the town and not only just their male counterparts. We hope more female cricketers will represent in the future and shake up this list. We hope you liked the list of our best Indian women cricketers of all time. Until next time, Goodbye!