New Delhi: Indian women's cricket team captain Harmanpreet Kaur said she is excited to be joining the country's contingent on July 28 for the Commonwealth Games (CWG 2022). Women's cricket is making its debut at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. Cricket was included in the Commonwealth Games only once, in 1998 in Kuala Lumpur. The Indian team is placed in the Group A pool along with arch-rivals Pakistan (July 31), Australia, and Barbados (August 3). India will start its campaign against Australia on July 29.
“It is very important that we go out there and experience the conditions and then decide what sort of strategy we will make. It is difficult to sit here (in India) and make guesses about how many runs can be scored as a competitive total in a T20 game nowadays. We are very positive and raring to go for the challenge,” said the 32-year-old.
Harmanpreet Kaur was named India women's team ODI skipper Sri Lankan tour ahead of Mithali Raj's retirement. A thrilled Kaur expressed her excitement about walking alongside Indian athletes during the Commonwealth Games 2022 opening ceremony.
Kaur said, “Competing at such tournaments can be a game-changer for women’s cricket. Regular participation can help the sport grow and gain more popularity. We all have grown up watching the Commonwealth Games and Olympics and they have impacted every athlete in some way or the other.”
Coach Ramesh Powar said he would love his players to have an interaction with Neeraj Chopra and PV Sindhu.
“I am curious to know what all goes in their mind when they prepare for crucial matches and also handle the pressure. We as a group want to exchange words with these top-class athletes,” said Powar.