As team India’s Captain Mithali Raj is all set for her one final run at the ICC Women’s World Cup 2022, she talks about the team’s preparation, the New Zealand series and the future of team India post her retirement.
Speaking about the recently concluded ODI series against New Zealand which team India lost 4-1. Mithali Raj after the victory in the final ODI said to the media, “We have improved over the last few games we have played, that’s a good sign before the World Cup. Was important to have the right preparation before the big tournament. Unfortunately, we couldn’t get the camps in India due to the rising Omicron cases.”
When asked about her opinion about the side post her retirement, Mithali said, “When I retire after this tournament, I will see that the squad is far stronger with the upcoming new talent.”
As team India has seen a lot of new faces come into the side over the last couple of years, Mithali Raj named 4 players in the world cup squad who has huge potential. As reported by ICC, Mithali said, “The talent that we’ve got in the last year, we’ve tried some young talent in the squad, and most of them have shown that they can play at this level like Richa Ghosh, Shafali Verma, we have Meghna Singh in the seamers, Pooja Vastrakar. They all have been given good game time and those series have helped them and me as a captain to find out where they fit in into the composition of the team.”
When asked about the advice she gives to the young women of Indian Cricket, she says “The only advice I would tell the young players is to enjoy the big stage because if you pile up the pressure you may not be playing the best that the team and you would want to do in the World Cup.”
As she makes her record 6th appearance in the ICC Women’s World Cup 2022, Mithali Raj is ready to showcase her best for one last time on the international stage. Team India begin their campaign at the 2022 Women’s World Cup against arch-rivals Pakistan on Saturday, March 6th at Mount Maunganui.
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