Mount Maunganui: One of the best servants of the game, Indian captain Mithali Raj, became only the third cricketer and the first woman to appear in six World Cups on Sunday, alongside the iconic Sachin Tendulkar and Pakistani great Javed Miandad.
She accomplished the feat when India closed horns with arch-rivals Pakistan in their highly anticipated opening match of the ICC Women’s World Cup at the Bay Oval here.
A 39-year veteran of many memorable matches, Raj made her first World Cup appearance in 2000, before playing the event in 2005, 2009, 2013, 2017 and now in 2022.
In the women’s game, the Indian batter surpassed former New Zealand cricketer Debbie Hockley and Charlotte Edwards of England.
Fast bowler Jhulan Goswami, Raj’s longest-serving India teammate, is second on the list of five World Cup appearances.
Tendulkar, the holder of countless batting records, is the only Indian cricketer, apart from Raj, who participated in six World Cups, from 1992 until the victorious campaign in 2011.
Earlier in the day, India won the toss and chose to bat.
India has an unbeaten record against Pakistan in women’s ODIs, winning all of their 10 matches, including three in World Cups.
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