Everybody knows only one side...: Mithali Raj opens up on feud with Ramesh Powar

Source/Twitter

Mithali Raj retired from all forms of international cricket last week. The Indian legend had ups and downs in her 23-year-long career. One of the biggest controversies that Mithali found herself in was the spat she had with the Indian women's cricket team's coach Ramesh Powar during the ICC T20 World Cup 2018. 

Thank you for all your love & support over the years!
I look forward to my 2nd innings with your blessing and support. pic.twitter.com/OkPUICcU4u

— Mithali Raj (@M_Raj03) June 8, 2022

Opening up on the incident, Mithali told India Today, how she overcame after the incident. "When you find yourself in the middle of chaos, you can't really think straight because you are feeling all sorts of emotions, even if you want to internalise and think from your brain and not from your heart. It would still be like you are hurting, so you will probably never have clarity if you are in chaos," Mithali Raj told. 

"Take some time and get out of it and then see it as a third person to understand how better you can respond to it or is it necessary? Sometimes it is okay to be quiet. It also requires a lot of courage when you are treated unfairly... everybody knows only one side of the story and when you feel that way it is fine because, at the end of the day, I am someone who is goal-oriented. I had a purpose - to play cricket at the best optimum level that I could. If I had to achieve that each time when I was to get on to the field and I wanted to give my best, it is not just about my skill but it was also about my mental state of mind," former India captain added. 

Mithali was dropped from India's playing XI against England in the semi-final match. Harmanpreet was captaining the side in the tournament. Raj and Powar indulged in a war of words after the incident. India lost the semi-final and Mithali, Powar and Harmanpreet had separate meetings with the then BCCI officials. Mithali cleared that she is unhappy with the way the head coach treated her but had nothing against Harmanpreet. Powar also wrote a long report mostly stating how Mithali was showing tantrums. 

"I had to be in the best possible space in my mind to go out there and give my best. So, for me to be in that good mental space, I had to overcome or get through that moment of hurt, anger, frustration, and irritation and eventually did, because I realised my purpose was not to be involved at that moment for long. The moment had to pass, that is what sport has taught me. In cricket, when you score a hundred, the next day you again have to start from the beginning, you don't start from a hundred. Obviously, that phase did hurt me a little bit but I overcame and that is why I was able to give the performance I did in the last year and a half. I was able to overcome those emotions," Mithali concluded. 

After the incident, Powar was replaced by WV Raman as the head coach of the Indian women's team but the former Indian spinner returned to the role ahead of the 2022 Women's World Cup. When asked about Powar's reappointment as the head coach Mithali said, "I was a player, I didn't have the power or call for that."