With the Women’s World Cup set to begin on September 30, India’s men’s cricketing stars have thrown their weight behind the women’s team, led by Harmanpreet Kaur as they chase a maiden title. The tournament opener will see India take on Sri Lanka at Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati.
T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav reserved special praise for batter Jemimah Rodrigues, who hails from his hometown Mumbai.
“It’s always good to see someone from your home city who has played so many local games, represented the state, and then gone on to play for India. Jemimah has always been a great performer. Playing the World Cup is a huge opportunity, and I’m sure she will deliver because she’s a great teammate and brings amazing energy to the ground,” Suryakumar told JioHotstar.
Rodrigues has 1,457 ODI runs at an average of 32.38 with a career-best 123 against South Africa. However, she was recently ruled out of the ongoing Australia ODI series due to viral fever, with Tejal Hasabnis named as her replacement.
Meanwhile, wicketkeeper-batter Richa Ghosh received glowing words from Sanju Samson, who praised her composure and fearless batting.
“We all love watching Richa Ghosh. The way she bats and keeps wickets, she always looks calm and confident. There’s a lot to learn from her. Wearing the blue jersey in this country is never easy, and there’s been a lot of hard work behind the scenes,” Samson said.
All-rounder Hardik Pandya also sent his wishes to the squad ahead of their campaign.
“I’m very excited and just want to wish the women’s team the best of luck. The whole of India is supporting you. Go out there and enjoy the sport—don’t worry too much, just be yourself. Remember, a billion people are backing you,” Pandya said.
India, runners-up in 2017, will be aiming to finally lift the trophy this time. The five-week tournament will see 31 matches played across five venues in India and Sri Lanka, concluding with the final on November 2.
INDIA’S SQUAD FOR THE WOMEN’S WORLD CUP
Squad: Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Smriti Mandhana (VC), Pratika Rawal, Harleen Deol, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh, Yastika Bhatia, Renuka Singh Thakur, Deepti Sharma, Sneh Rana, Sree Charani, Radha Yadav, Amanjot Kaur, Arundhati Reddy, Kranti Gaud.
Reserves: Tejal Hasabnis, Prema Rawat, Priya Mishra, Uma Chetry, Minnu Mani, Sayali Satghare.
– Ends