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Harmanpreet emphasises on communication ahead of Gujarat clash

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Last updated on 04 Mar 2023 | 03:51 AM
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Harmanpreet emphasises on communication ahead of Gujarat clash

Meanwhile, Beth Mooney spoke about instilling a 'brave attitude' among the players

The Women's Premier League is set to script a new chapter in the glorious history of Indian cricket, and ahead of the opening fixture between Gujarat Giants and Mumbai Indians on March 4 (Saturday) at the DY Patil Stadium, the two captains were upbeat about the challenge. 

Australian batter Beth Mooney will lead the Giants, while Harmanpreet Kaur will be at the helm of the Mumbai Indians.

In the pre-match press conference, Mooney was optimistic about the chances of her team and stated that she was looking forward to leading the team for the first time in a high-octane tournament.  

"When I got bid on in the auction, I was just happy to be a part of it, and captaincy wasn't something that was on my radar. Then, Mithali gave me a phone call and said, 'we'd like you to do captaincy, and we're happy if you want to. After a couple of conversations with Rachael, we both thought the time was right for me to challenge myself within cricket," she said. 

"I know Rachael Haynes quite well, and it is good to work pretty close with her. She is in her first-ever job as a head coach. I haven't done a lot of captaincy recently, but I did a fair bit when I was younger. So I have got a little bit of experience. I trust Rach and her judgement, so I was more than happy to help her, " she added. 

In a short tournament like this, the southpaw stated that it was all about momentum and insisted on taking the braver options for the team as compared to going back into their shell. 

" It's all about grabbing that momentum as well. I think the only way you can do that is by being calm under pressure and taking the braver option always. So I'll try to instil that in the group as much as possible."

I'd rather see someone go out and try something they have been working on in training and perhaps get out than go back into the shell, especially with the bat and same with the ball," Mooney said. 

The Indian skipper, Harmanpreet Kaur, was confident with the players at her disposal and stressed the need for better communication with the younger lot.

"My approach always is that I should be initiating the conversations with my players. Some players don't speak English, but they are trying their best. All our overseas players understand this and are trying to make our young players comfortable so they can communicate better."

In the practice games, we got a lot of confidence because we were able to cut down the communication gap during the matches. As teammates, when you communicate better, you are always going to do well. And they were also very friendly and would come out of their comfort zone to talk to our younger players," she concluded.

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