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India more than capable of winning Women’s World Cup: Mithali Raj

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India women’s cricket team captain Mithali Raj has said that her side is “more than capable” of winning the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup, beginning in New Zealand on March 4, adding that it is now “just a case of doing it” after coming close on two occasions.

India begin their campaign in the mega event, to be played across six venues in New Zealand from March 4, with a game against arch-rivals Pakistan on March 6.

Mithali said the impact India’s title victory in the mega event will have on the country will be “incredible”.

“We have shown that we are more than capable of winning the trophy, it is now just a case of doing it and the impact of doing so would be incredible. I can only imagine what its effect would be,” Mithali said in her column for ICC.

“I clearly remember the emotions from the final of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup in 2017, having come so close to winning. The match against England was played in a packed Lord’s stadium and to miss out on that chance is something that will rankle forever,” added the skipper.

After defeating six-time champions Australia in the semifinals, India made it to the 2017 World Cup final, where they lost to hosts England.

“It has been an honour to have led India to two of the three ICC finals we have reached, going back to the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2005 in South Africa. We have had several memorable performances over this period but are missing that one huge win.

“We have now been the beaten finalists in the most recent 50-over and 20-over World Cup finals and have learnt so much from those experiences that we will take into this World Cup in New Zealand,” said Mithali.

She said a title triumph in New Zealand could speed up BCCI’s plans to organise a women’s IPL.

“Not only would it mean so much for the players and our families, but it would make a real difference for all our fans back home in India, where there is already great anticipation for a Women’s IPL. Our fans are some of the most passionate in the world and we know that they will be watching on. I’m sure if we did win, we would be able to hear them all the way from New Zealand.

“To be recognised on the streets in my country is something I never expected when I appeared in my first World Cup in 2000, also in New Zealand, but that is now so common and shows how much the game has grown in India.”

Mithali said that she and pace-bowling stalwart Jhulan Goswami, who too was part of the 2005 campaign, “badly want to win an ICC World title”.

“Jhulan Goswami was by my side in 2005 and has been an ever-present member of the Indian team in all those years since, she has amassed 240 wickets in ODIs, 60 more than anyone else and luckily shows no signs of slowing down. We both so badly want to win an ICC World title before we call it a day!

“We have, of course, been joined by so many talented youngsters in recent years. There is huge talent in India and I am sure the next crop of players is already inspiring thousands and thousands of girls out there to pick up the bat or ball. When I was growing up, there was only the odd girl attending an academy but bunches of them are the norm nowadays,” said Mithali.

“Shafali Verma is surely one of the players being watched with great enthusiasm back home. She is one of the world’s rising stars and I am backing her to have more impressive performances for India throughout the tournament with guidance and support from the stylish Smriti Mandhana at the other end. Taniya Bhatia has been very reliable behind the stumps and Richa Ghosh is hot on her heels, meaning we have two wicketkeepers we can trust,” said Mithali in her column.

“We all know what Harmanpreet Kaur can do on the world stage. Her 171 not out in the 2017 semifinal against Australia earned us a place in the final and her performances in last year’s Women’s Big Bash League show she is ready to do it again. We are very fortunate to be heading into this tournament having played New Zealand, Australia and England in recent months.”

The skipper said that the squad was well acclimatised to the New Zealand climate after having played on their seaming pitches, which they don’t get at home.

“The series in New Zealand has given us a chance to acclimatise, particularly to the seaming conditions we don’t often experience at home. Against England, we won one of the three ODI matches and put up a good fight in the other two before beating Australia to end their run of 26 one-day wins. Those results show what is possible if we come together as a team and believe in ourselves, and now, I am just excited to get out there and play.”

International

CT 2025: India to take on Pakistan on Feb 23, likely to play in Colombo or Dubai: Sources

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New Delhi, Dec 19: The much-awaited clash between arch-rivals India and Pakistan in the Champions Trophy 2025 will be played on February 23 with Colombo and Dubai front-runners to play host for India’s matches in the tournament being played in hybrid format. The development comes after the ICC Board said that “India and Pakistan matches hosted by either country at ICC Events during the 2024-2027 rights cycle will be played at a neutral venue.”

“India will take on Pakistan at a neutral venue on February 23, 2025. ICC looking at Colombo and Dubai to host their matches.”

The Champions Trophy is scheduled to be played in February and March 2025. Meanwhile, ICC said the schedule for the marquee tournament will be confirmed in the coming days.

Pakistan are the defending champions of the tournament, having defeated India by 180 runs in the final at The Oval in 2017. Both teams last played against each other in the T20 World Cup in New York earlier this year which India won by six runs and went on to claim their second silverware in the format.

Due to the strained political relations between the two neighbouring countries, India and Pakistan only play each other in international events including World Cups and Asia Cup. The last bilateral series between India and Pakistan was held in 2012-13 when the latter toured India for the five-match white-ball series.

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It’s OFFICIAL! All India vs Pakistan Matches At ICC Events To Be Played At Neutral Venue Till 2027

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India and Pakistan matches hosted by either country at ICC Events during the 2024-2027 rights cycle will be played at a neutral venue, the ICC Board confirmed on Thursday, 19 December. The schedule for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 is set to be confirmed soon, with Pakistan aiming to defend the title they won in 2017.

The eight-team event will feature Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, New Zealand, and South Africa, alongside hosts Pakistan.

This will apply to the upcoming ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 (hosted by Pakistan), set to be played in February and March 2025, as well as the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 (hosted by India) and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 (hosted by India and Sri Lanka).

It was also announced that the PCB has been awarded hosting rights of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in 2028, where neutral venue arrangements will also apply. Cricket Australia is set to host one of the senior ICC women’s events during the period 2029 to 2031.

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‘Our dream is getting fulfilled’: Coach Sumit Bhatia elated to see Kho Kho going global

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New Delhi, Dec 16: Coach Sumit Bhatia is all pumped up for the first edition of the Kho Kho World Cup scheduled to take place from January 13-19, 2025. Bhatia, who holds a distinct record of being the only head coach to have won the Asian Championship twice, believes that this historical step is an indication of the realisation of the dream to take the sport to the international level and help it gain global recognition.

Having been honoured with the best coach award by the Delhi government, Bhatia has been a part of various Indian teams’ success, including the 2016 and 2023 Asian Kho Kho Championship victories, and has trained players like Nasreen Shaikh and Sarika Sudhakar Kale. Both of them have been Arjuna Awardees.

Nasreen, who is also a part of the World Cup camp, is the only player who has played in two Asian Championships and won the gold. The coach-student duo is now gearing up for the global event.

Sharing how the journey of Kho Kho World Cup’s inception, the coach said, “We organised an international camp here before COVID happened, in 2020. Coaches and players from 16 countries came here and we gave them training. Now they will be coming here for the World Cup but this campaign started in that camp”.

He further said, “Around 30-35 countries were willing to play the tournament but we picked the best 20 teams for both men and women. Some countries have single teams while some have double teams but a total of 24 countries will be participating in the tournament. It was our dream to take Kho Kho to the international level and now we can see that our dream is getting fulfilled.”

He also lauded the launch of the Ultimate Kho Kho League and shared how the franchise-based model has helped the players and coaches gain recognition, while also bringing forward grassroot talent.

“When the Ultimate Kho Kho league started, I also joined Telegu Yodhas as their head coach and we also played the final. Players have gotten exposure through the league and it’s not just financial. Earlier we used to hesitate while admitting being a Kho Kho coach but today our players introduce us as their coach,” said Bhatia.

He added, “The league got so much coverage that wherever we go, the players are approached for autographs. So the platform of the league started a new world for both coaches and players and now not just India but the entire world knows us. Earlier we used to tell people about our game but now they know what is Kho Kho and Ultimate Kho Kho league and are also waiting for the third season.”

Bhatia also discussed the impact of sports science on Kho Kho and lauded the newly introduced technology and said, “We have benefitted a lot from it. Sometimes we don’t understand why a player is not performing well. But with the introduction of sports science, we now know about the details of the problem.

“For example, a player might be facing issues with his left leg while sitting and so, it gives us an opportunity to work on that weakness… Sports science has helped us in identifying the accuracy and weakness of a player. So it’s very beneficial for us.”

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