Twitter unhappy over Mithali Raj's exclusion in the first T20I against New Zealand

Right from blaming Harmanpreet for not keeping her egos aside to pointing out India's poor collapse

By Sameer Allana

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Mithali Raj
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Mithali Raj. (Photo by Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images)

The Indian fans were quite disappointed with Mithali Raj’s exclusion from the T20I side. Regarded as India’s most prominent batter when it comes to One Dayers, the 36-year-old has often found herself at loggerheads with the team management. Her rift with former coach Ramesh Powar following the conclusion of WT20 is well known.

In 85 T20Is, Mithali has an aggregate of 2283 runs which includes 17 fifties. Time and again, she has always proved her worth with the bat. However, the veteran hasn’t been in a great patch of late. Her fielding too has been a concern for the team. As a result of these events, she was left out of the playing XI during the WT20 semifinals in spite of scoring fifties.

As Harmanpreet Kaur walked out for the toss today, there was no Mithali in the playing XI. She also holds the ninth position in the ICC rankings for top batters. Hence leaving her out was bound to raise certain eyebrows. She may not be a great asset in the shortest format but still decent enough to be picked in the playing XI.

Mithali could’ve arrested the collapse

Mithali Raj’s absence was eventually felt in the batting order. Chasing 160, the Indian Women were cruising at 102/1. However, Smriti Mandhana‘s wicket led to a collapse in the middle. The visitors lost wickets like a pack of cards as the Kiwi bowlers cashed in. The Women in Blue ended up getting all out for 136 as they fell short by 23 runs. Twitter was quick to remind how Mithali’s presence may have made a difference.

Right from blaming Harmanpreet for not keeping her egos aside to pointing out India’s poor collapse, many felt that Mithali deserved a go. While she is likely to retire after the England series, the skipper had other views. Harmanpreet felt that all the players deserved a chance since it was their last opportunity to play overseas before the tournament in 2020.

Here are some of the Twitter reactions on Mithali Raj being dropped from the playing XI:-

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