Seventeen years ago, a 19-year-old girl broke into the Indian women's Test side and a few months after her debut in the longest format, she gave everyone a glimpse of her capabilities with a staggering knock of 214 runs against England in Taunton. A lot of time has passed by since then, but the legend of Mithali Raj continues to grow.

Ever since making her international debut in 1999, Mithali has established herself as India's most dependable batswoman, scoring runs in crunch situations and shattering one record after another. Apart from amassing runs for her side, Mithali is also bestowed with the responsibility of grooming young and upcoming members of Indian women's team.

© Reuters

One of the most diligent servants of Indian cricket, Mithali has played a pivotal role in the rise of the women's game in a country that has, for long, obsessed over their male counterparts. From shutting down sexist reporters to disapproving comparisons between male and female cricketers, the Indian captain (in Tests & ODIs) has helped her teammates in carving their own niche in a sport dominated by men.

And, the fact that she recently became the first female cricketer to play 200 One-Day Internationals (ODIs) in the history of the sport, further decorated her illustrious career. For a cricketer of her repute, it's not really surprising to see Mithali enjoy unmatched popularity and fan-following. But, the Indian star looked elated after winning the heart of a youngster who became the latest addition to her long list of fans.

@mithaliraj has a little fan #zoraverdhawan! One of my favourite pics and we always supporting the Women's Indian Cricket Team!!!!! #lovethispic #womenscricket #fan

A post shared by Aesha Dhawan (@aesha.dhawan5) on Jan 30, 2019 at 4:27pm PST

The 36-year-old, who is currently in New Zealand for their limited-overs series, seems to have found a fan in Shikhar Dhawan's son Zoravar. The experienced campaigner was snapped alongside her latest fan who was equally happy to meet his idol. Dhawan's wife Ayesha shared their photograph on Instagram with a caption that read: "@mithaliraj has a little fan #zoraverdhawan! One of my favourite pics and we always supporting the Women's Indian Cricket Team!!!!! #lovethispic#womenscricket #fan".

After playing her part in India's 2-1 triumph in the recently-concluded ODI series, Mithali will now be eager to cater to her team's needs when they take on New Zealand in the three-match Twenty20 International (T20I) series, slated to begin from 6th February in Wellington.