Follow UsIndia women were very close to winning an ODI World Cup in 2017, but then a late collapse against England put an end to all those hopes. Since then, Harmanpreet Kaur’s side have made progress across the board but haven’t yet been able to cross that last step, haunting them and all the fans.
The upcoming ODI World Cup is the best possible chance for them to overturn their fortunes and show the world their prowess, considering it is happening in India. Former Indian batter Vanitha VR, in a Cricket.com exclusive, spoke about the expectations from the current crop of Indian cricketers.
“Stop having that excitement and don’t hype the tournament. I’m superstitious, I don’t want to see what happened the last time we played at home. The India team are playing their best cricket at the moment, all the hope is that the team does well,” Vanitha told Cricket.com.
“We just want the trophy, that’s all we need. U-19 girls are getting it done over the last two years; it is time that our senior team does the same. BCCI has all the trophies now, it is about time we have a Women’s ODI World Cup,” she added.
After the latest Chinnaswamy debacle, there’s a huge doubt over the World Cup final at the venue, as the Karnataka high court has asked all high-profile games to be shifted out. But Vanitha crossed her fingers for the golden opportunity.
“I’m sure the team is preparing well, and we have a shot at winning the World Cup. I think the team is preparing well; hopefully, it is going to be an amazing outing. Hopefully, the final happens here in Bengaluru,” she added.
Naturally, after this World Cup, there will be a transition for the Indian women’s team, with so many young talents putting up their hands to be on the Indian side. Vanitha reckons that Niki Prasad, who led the Indian U-19 side to victory in Malaysia, will be the name to look forward.
Read: India’s U-19 captain Niki Prasad, carving a niche with No.19 on her back
“We already have Charani, she’s someone who I thought would go on and become big, she’s up there. I’m excited to see Niki Prasad, a new talent from Karnataka, who we had on our [RCB] radar as well, and we saw glimpses of her in the WPL as well,” she said.
“Niki is someone whom I’m looking forward to. Hopefully, people here [Karnataka] will handle her well and become big. Selectors are also going to handle these players; it is very important.”