Mithali Raj slams Diana Edulji, Ramesh Powar for her omission from World T20 semifinal

Legendary Indian woman cricketer and ODI captain Mithali Raj on Tuesday broke her silence on her omission from the World T20 semifinal against England and slammed Committee of Administrators’ member Diana Edulji and coach Ramesh Powar. Mithali said that while coach Powar humiliated her during the ICC Women's World T20, Edulji used her position against her. “For the first time in a 20 year long career, I felt deflated, depressed and let down. I am forced to think if my services to my country are of any value to a few people in power who are out to destroy me and break my confidence,” she wrote to BCCI CEO Rahul Johri and Cricket Operations GM Saba Karim.

The 35-year-old cricketer was dropped from the playing XI for the crucial semifinal against England despite scoring back-to-back fifties in the group stage of the Women's World T20 held in the West Indies. India performed poorly and lost the match by eight wickets.

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Mithali also clarified that he had nothing against the T20 captain Harmanpreet Kaur. However, she said that Kaur's support to the coach's decision was hurtful.

“I would also like to point out that I have nothing against the T20 captain Harmanpreet Kaur except for the fact that her call to support the decision of the coach to leave me out of the eleven was baffling and hurtful," she said adding that "I wanted to win the world cup for my country and it hurts me because we lost a golden opportunity.”

The ODI skipper of the blue brigade lashed out at former cricketer and COA member Diana Edulji and said that EDulji's brazen support to the decision of her benching in the semifinal left her "deeply distressed".

"I have always reposed faith in Diana Edulji and have always respected her and her position as a member of the COA. Never did I think she will use her position against me. Her brazen support in the press with regard to the decision of my benching in the semifinal of the T20 World Cup has left me deeply distressed," Mithali said.

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Speaking about Ramesh Powar's behaviour, Mithali narrated a few incidents when she felt humiliated by the coach.

“For instance, walking off if I am sitting anywhere around, watching in the nets when others bat but choosing to walk away when I am batting in nets. And if I try to go up to him to talk, he would start looking into his phone and keep walking. It was embarrassing and very evident to everyone that I was being humiliated. Yet I never lost my cool,” she added.