‘Want this team to be among best’

The T20 season is in full throttle around the country. And while most are engrossed with the ongoing IPL, there is the little matter of a World Cup to think about.

With less than 65 days to go before India’s women take to the pitch at the 2017 ICC Women’s World Cup in England, captain Mithali Raj cut away dreary issues of contract wrangling and payment gaffes to go down the wicket with the team’s build-up and challenges ahead.

Team India have had to take the scenic route to the 11th edition of the 50-over format, playing qualifiers last month in Colombo against South Africa, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. But conditions in England are in stark contrast to the spin-friendly subcontinental wickets, and Mithali knows this all too well.

“English conditions are the toughest for any cricketer. The Australians have also been doing very well. Though we’ve beaten the West Indies recently, they are T20 champions,” she said at the unveiling of the world’s largest cricket bat here in the city on Thursday.

India hosted the previous edition but failed to live up to their own standards, unable to qualify from their group. The Women in Blue will go into this tournament without the services of star pacer Jhulan Goswami and 2016’s ICC world team of the year entrant Smriti Mandana, out with injury.

And finally, the Hyderabad-based batter swatted away questions about retirement and looked steely-eyed in the quest for an unprecedented World Cup trophy.

“I still feel I have a couple of years more to give to the team. I’ve represented India at five World Cups and we came very close in 2005. But after finishing third in the 2009 World Cup, we’ve dropped off. I would be happy if I can get my hands on the trophy, but I realistically want this team to grow from strength to strength and be among the best in the world again.”

India hosted the previous edition of the ICC Women’s World Cup but failed to live up to their own standards, unable to qualify from their group