Mithali Raj thanks PM Modi for special letter post-retirement

Indian cricketing legend Mithali Raj announced her retirement from all forms of the game last month. After her announcement, she received several congratulatory messages from a legion of fans and the entire cricketing fraternity.

Even Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had written a special letter for the former Indian captain. On July 2, Raj took to social media and acknowledged the same, saying that she was overwhelmed upon receiving the letter from the Indian Prime Minister.

She posted an image of Narendra Modi's letter of appreciation of her. Meanwhile, in the caption, Raj wrote that she expressed her gratitude by saying that it is a matter of "honour and pride" for her.

"It's a matter of singular honour & pride when one receives such warm encouragement from our Hon'ble PM Shri @narendramodi ji, who is a role model & inspiration for millions including me. I am overwhelmed by this thoughtfully worded acknowledgement of my contribution to cricket."

She added: "I will treasure this forever. I feel inspired and encouraged for my next chapter and will strive hard to live up to the expectations of our Hon'ble PM in contributing towards the growth of Indian sports."

Mithali Raj's international journey

She made her international debut in 1999 against Ireland-Women at the tender age of 16. The cricketing legend played 12 Tests, 232 ODIs and 89 T20Is in her 23-year journey with Indian cricket.

With 7,805 runs, Raj holds the record for scoring the most runs in women's ODI cricket. She has also compiled an additional 2,364 runs in T20Is and 699 runs in Test cricket.