With less than a month left for the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup, the Indian Women team will kick off their final leg of preparations against New Zealand from tomorrow. The series comprises a one-off T20 and five ODIs, it enables a perfect opportunity for the Indian squad to get used to the conditions and get their team composition in place ahead of the mega event.
“We want to put our best standard of cricket so the team derives a lot of confidence when we get into the World Cup,” said the Indian captain Mithali Raj.
She further added, “We play to win but I look forward to giving some game time to the core players. It is important they find their rhythm before the World Cup.”
The Indian side has a mix of exciting young seamers with Meghna Singh, Pooja Vastrakar, and Renuka Singh along with the experienced Jhulan Goswami in the squad who’ll look to exploit the pacer friendly conditions in New Zealand.
Having reached the finals of the last two ICC events where the pressure of the occasion got the better of the Indian side, India is traveling with a sports psychologist this time around.
Mithali said,” Having a sports psychologist traveling with the team this time around helps. She has one-on-one sessions with the players to give them more time to understand how to deal with their pressures and find ways that they can absorb and play their best cricket.”
Considering it’ll be a two-month-long tour with longer durations of quarantines and bio-bubbles having a sports psychologist to address those pressures is helpful.
India will kick off their World Cup campaign against Pakistan Women on the 6th of March.
Set your alarm, the much awaited tournament starts tomorrow.
T20I will start at 5.30 AM IST.
All matches will be streamed LIVE on @PrimeVideoIN #NZvIND pic.twitter.com/O16tjiqo3Y
— Female Cricket (@imfemalecricket) February 8, 2022
Fixtures of the series vs NZ:-
9th February – 1st T20I – John Davies Oval, Queenstown
12th February – 1st ODI – John Davies Oval, Queenstown
15th February – 2nd ODI – John Davies Oval, Queenstown
18th February – 3rd ODI – John Davies Oval, Queenstown
22nd February – 4th ODI – John Davies Oval, Queenstown
24th February – 5th ODI – John Davies Oval, Queenstown
