As the fans of the Indian women’s cricket team are eagerly waiting to see their favorite players back in action on the English soil in the next 13 days, they can breathe a sigh of relief as the newly appointed head coach of the team and ODI and Test skipper Mithali Raj seem to have put their differences aside.
Ramesh Powar, who was the coach between August and November 2018 was unceremoniously axed after alleged differences between Mithali Raj and him during the ICC Women’s World T20 2018, in which India lost the semi-finals. The in-form Raj was benched for the knockout game and it was alleged that the decision to not include her in the playing XI was a collective one of Powar and T20I skipper Harmanpreet Kaur. This shocker came under the scanner however it was too late in the day, as India eves were shown the exit door.
After the exit of Powar, the Women in Blue received the services of WV Raman, under whose tutelage the girls made it to the finals of the Women’s World T20 last year. Though there was no particular reason for showing the door to Raman, Powar’s re-appointment certainly raised many eyebrows. The very first question that would have cropped up in the minds of followers of Indian women’s cricket could have been “Will Mithali Raj and Ramesh Powar let go of the 2018 episode?” To the fans’ delight, the duo cleared the air when they answered similar questions thrown at them by the journalists during one of the press conferences.
The crux of the press conference was that everything seems to be fine between the captain and coach.
🗨️ India women’s team coach skipper Mithali Raj & coach Ramesh Powar have accepted that all is well between the duo and they have let bygones be bygones. #ENGvIND #MithaliRaj pic.twitter.com/rCoZJd51G5
— Female Cricket (@imfemalecricket) June 2, 2021
While Mithali Raj as quoted by news agency ANI said, “Well, I think can we move on from that? It has been three years, we are in 2021 and we should be looking forward now. There are many more series coming and you know, if you are repetitively asking the same question then we need to get you back from the past”, Ramesh Powar as quoted by PTI, said “I would like to stop the speculation about what is happening. We interact well, otherwise, I would not have come back to women’s cricket. Everyone grows up after three years. There are larger goals, bigger picture, a responsibility, and an opportunity.”
I am a former cricketer having represented Mumbai University at All India University level. I was a part of MCA probables for the U-19 and U-23 age group. I have been an avid cricket writer for the last five years. Currently I am pursuing my Ph.D from IIT Bombay.