Shah Rukh Khan wants Mithali Raj to coach Indian men’s cricket team one day

He once played a former Indian men's hockey team player tasked with coaching the Indian women's hockey team- Shah Rukh Khan now wants Indian women’s cricket captain Mithali Raj to coach Indian men’s cricket team in near future.

Mithali, who led India to a historic ICC World Cup final last year, appeared on TV show “TED Talks India Nayi Soch” – hosted by the actor. 

During the interaction, Shah Rukh said, “I want to see you as the coach of the men’s cricket team one day.” Raj responded with a smile and said, “I always want to give my best.”

Though, there are hardly any female coaches in Cricket cureently, Mithali may be the perfect candidate to bring about the change. There seems to be nothing the veteran Indian women cricketer cannot do. 

Mithali is the only Indian women’s captain to take her side to two World Cup finals: in 2005 and 2017. The Indian, who is the leading run-getter in ODIs with 6190 runs in her career, was also included in ICC’s ODI team of the year, along with teammates Harmanpreet Kaur and Ekta Bisht.

During the interaction, SRK, who is an avid reader himself, asked Raj about her books preferences. Raj said that reading a book keeps her focused on the field.

“When you are on the field, and everyone is looking up to you and the entire team to bring back the trophy, (then) it is not just about the game. So, it is necessary for us to stay focused… and we all have our own ways to ensure we give our best on the field. I read books to get rid of pressure during a match. It does help me to keep calm and encourage a good performance,” she said.

Raj has recently featured with Shah Rukh and businesswoman Nita Ambani on the cover of fashion magazine Vogue in September.