On the 18th of October, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) officially put out a highly awaited statement on the launch of the Women’s Indian Premier League (W-IPL). The BCCI’s 91st Annual General Meeting’s (AGM’s) media release read, “The General Body approved to conduct the Women’s Indian Premier League.”
News18 got in conversation with Harmanpreet Kaur in Kolkata, where she was a showstopper at the Blenders Pride Glassware Fashion Tour. India’s all-format skipper, Harmanpreet Kaur opened up about her captaincy and also how the upcoming Women’s IPL will be beneficial for the domestic players.
On how the women’s IPL will help the women’s cricket team, Harmanpreet Kaur said, “The women’s IPL is something we are looking forward to. It will be a good experience, especially for the domestic players who are good but were not getting the chance to play at the international level. This is a great platform for them and if they perform well, they will definitely get picked for the national side.
“They are also going to share the dressing room with overseas players and when you play with them, your competence goes high as well. You’re definitely going to learn great things from them. That’s what happened to me when I played the WBBL and The Hundred. I learned a lot from them, shared my thoughts, and got ideas from them as well.”
“We definitely miss them because they have been a great support for all the girls. Because of them, we have got all the name and fame & their hard work is something that you will always remember.”
~ Harmanpreet Kaur on the legacy by Mithali Raj & Jhulan Goswami#CricketTwitter pic.twitter.com/iKPaq6FxBA
— Female Cricket (@imfemalecricket) November 27, 2022
Addressing the question on the absences of senior pros, Mithali Raj and Jhulan Goswami, Harmanpreet Kaur stated, “We definitely miss them because they have been a great support for all the girls. Today when they are not here, it’s our responsibility to continue with the hard work. Because of them, we have got all the name and fame and their hard work is something that you will always remember. The last series in England with Jhulan was special for us because we wanted to give our 100% and make her feel special.”
Harmanpreet Kaur mid this year was handed over complete white-ball captaincy duties and on what captaincy has taught her, Harmanpreet Kaur answered, “As a cricketer, I have always learned one thing, which is to be responsible, take responsibility, be comfortable and count on each and every moment which is special for you. These things make me strong. For me, giving 100% is more important than getting the result and I think these things keep me motivated.”
With the upcoming, International Cricket Council (ICC) Women’s T20 World Cup that’ll be played early next year in South Africa just around the corner, Harmanpreet on what her India’s preparation and the team’s biggest competitor, answered, “You always have to keep in mind how the other team is performing on that particular day. Otherwise, keeping those thoughts in your mind can always put you into doubt.
“Whenever we meet, we discuss what we have to do and how we have to do it. We definitely discuss the positive sides and the weaknesses of the other teams but we do not give them too much respect. There is obviously respect but giving too much of it would also put you under pressure. So for us, it’s always important how we are going to play and how we are going to do well on the field.”
India in their lead-up to the World Cup has got a bilateral series due in December against Australia and then a tri-series featuring South Africa and the West Indies at Buffalo Park, East London from the 19th of January to the 2nd of February, 2023.
(Quotes sourced from Srijita Sen / News18)
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