One of the abiding memories from the legendary career of Mithali Raj would be the sight of the former India captain coolly immersed in a book while sitting on the sidelines during a match. As she awaited her turn to bat, Mithali could be seen reading a book taking short breaks in between just to keep a track on what was happening in the middle.
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The commentators would often gush over her ‘cool’ mindset but for Mithali, reading served more purpose than widening her knowledge. She used it to not develop any pre-conceived notion about the ball movement, type of bowling and walk in with an open mind whenever it was her turn to take the guard.
“It (reading) helped me to deal with the jitters I felt before a game,” Mithali told News18 in an exclusive conversation. “It helped me in not being predetermined when I walked out to bat because sitting out and watching the game, you tend to form your opinion about the bowling, the ball moving, etc. Reading helped me walk in to bat without any apprehension. Reading also helped me to manage my emotions.”
Mithali then revealed that whenever she felt the emotions getting the better of her, she would use books as an outlet. “There were times when I felt things were not under control. I felt emotions draining me, it could be anger, irritability. I am not someone who is expressive. I keep the emotions to myself. There has to be an outlet. Books have helped me manage my emotions, maintain my composure in the most challenging situations,” she said.
Last week, Mithali announced her retirement from international cricket and thus brought an end to a storied career that saw her become one of the greatest batters to have played the game.
She retired as the highest run-getter in Women’s ODIs (7,805) as well the player who captained her team in the most women’s World Cup matches (28).
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