Indian Cricket Skipper Mithali Raj Hits A Journalist’s Sexist Question Out Of The Stadium

Women sports in our country is not celebrated with as much fanfare as their male counterparts. It’s 2017 and the sad state of affairs still continues and frankly, it’s quite disappointing. On the eve of the Women’s Cricket World Cup, Indian team skipper, Mithali Raj was asked a sexist question and it is making us cringe!

Mithali Raj, who was attending an opening dinner along with the press was asked, who was her favourite men’s cricketer between India and Pakistan. And boy, she shot down the journalist and how! As quoted by ESPN Cricinfo,

“Do you ask the same question to a male cricketer? Do you ask them who their favourite female cricketer is? I have always been asked who’s your favourite cricketer but you should ask them who their favourite female cricketer is.”

 

Mithali’s response took Twitter by storm and many applauded her for taking a stance and not holding it back!

1.  She knocked that one out of the park!

Superb response from Indian skipper Mithali Raj. Asked by a reporter who her favourite male player is: "Would you ask a man that?" 👊🏻 #WWC17 pic.twitter.com/RqgVLzXp46

— Adam Collins (@collinsadam) June 22, 2017

 

2. You, go girl!

Attagirl #MithaliRaj. With that response she certainly takes a giant leap towards becoming everyone's favourite female cricketer… https://t.co/Q7hGfpI0F4

— سنجیو ورما Sanjeev Verma (@sanjeevve) June 23, 2017

 

3. The sound of that shot will resonate for a long time!

Brave. Bold. A mammoth sixer by #MithaliRaj mam. A very hardly hit shot. Proud of you. All the best for #CT17. 👍👌https://t.co/6kdEqBYIJt

— Anupam K Singh 🇮🇳 (@anupamnawada) June 23, 2017

 

While many appreciated Mithali for taking a shot at the journalist, there were a few naysayers who simply just didn’t get the point!

1. Why am I not surprised?

https://twitter.com/theepori_/status/877953987227430912

 

2. How about we change that, starting from today?

women cricket is not famous yet. the people does not watch women cricket with keen.

— Syed Nabeel Ahmed (@SyedNabeelAhmd) June 22, 2017

 

3. This just makes me sad!

https://twitter.com/CliffofDovers/status/877974662314991616

 

However, even for those, there were these perfect comebacks which make us believe that the perception of women’s sports is changing especially in our country!

1. TRUE

The replies to your tweet are, sadly, so revealing. The open, unashamed, boring misogyny of so many..

— Kavita Krishnan (@kavita_krishnan) June 23, 2017

 

2. Truer words have not been spoken!

https://twitter.com/tejeswipratima/status/877960972371075073

 

3. She needs all the support there is…

Congrats!! Mithali!! Have been following u & Womens cricket since Shanta Ranga swamy days!!

— Ratna Prabha (@Ratnaprabha_IAS) June 23, 2017

 

4.  WORD

cricket is a religion here but unfortunately only male cricket.. a perfect reply by her

— Nikhil garg (@gargniks03) June 22, 2017

 

5. A mere polite but louder than the sound of a slap

Not a slap. Merely a polite reminder to not relegate women cricketers to the status of mere fans of the men's game.

— Lavanya Pilling (@rubiksgal) June 22, 2017

Women’s cricket undoubtedly is not as famous as the men’s cricket. But these women put in the same effort as their male counterparts and have been overshadowed innumerable times. Having known that, we, as spectators, or as people posing questions to them should only find out ways to encourage the team and not belittle them by asking irrelevant questions that reek of ignorance & inability to ask meaningful questions.