
Mithali Raj On India's Chances At Women's World Cup: 'Can See Their Confidence'
Former India captain Mithali Raj believes the team's recent performances place them in a strong position for the upcoming World Cup.
Former India captain Mithali Raj, who participated in the event and led the team in the previous edition, believes the team's recent performances place them in a strong position for the upcoming World Cup.
'The way the team has been doing over the last year, not just in ODIs, but in T20Is. A wonderful series in England, beating England in England. I can see with their confidence, and being there in the home World Cup. I think nothing better," the former cricketer said as quoted by the ICC.
Mithali said the 2017 World Cup was the turning point for women's cricket.
'The 2017 World Cup actually transformed women's cricket not just in India but globally, I would say, because social media was relatively new (and) the ICC did their part in promoting and campaigning on a larger scale," Mithali Raj said.
What Happened In '50 Days To Go' Event For ICC Women's World Cup 2025?
India legends Mithali Raj and Yuvraj Singh, along with current stars Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana, and Jemimah Rodrigues, gathered in Mumbai for the '50 days to go' event for the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2025. This upcoming 50-over World Cup marks the return of a senior ICC Women's tournament to the sub-continent for the first time since 2016, when India hosted the ICC Women's T20 World Cup. India previously hosted the Women's World Cup in 1978, 1997, and 2013.
ICC Chairman Jay Shah inaugurated the event, followed by panel discussions featuring past and present Indian cricket stars, along with ICC CEO Sanjog Gupta. The event also marked the official launch of the ICC Trophy Tour, which begins in Mumbai and will travel to all host cities of the tournament, including Delhi. As part of a broader school legacy programme, the Trophy Tour will visit several schools in each host city. The BCCI and ICC will partner with stakeholders to offer select schools the opportunity to attend World Cup matches.
The Women's World Cup will commence on 30 September, with India playing in the tournament opener against Sri Lanka in Bengaluru.
view comments
First Published:
Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


New Indian Express
3 hours ago
- New Indian Express
Frank chat between Ramesh and Pragg leads to transformation
CHENNAI: AROUND the time when D Gukesh was crowned as the world champion, RB Ramesh and R Praggnanadhaa had a very frank conversation. The interaction between teacher and student didn't focus on Gukesh's title but the spotlight was on the wider developments within Indian chess. "There were things we discussed at the end of last year," Ramesh told select media during the fifth round of the Chennai Grand Masters on Monday. "Does it have a negative impact on you? Because Gukesh, rating wise, he went up. Pragg was 2740 in January. In December also he was 2740. He had had some ups and downs. 'So do others' performances have an impact on you?' These were some of the issues we discussed." The irony wasn't lost on India's very wide chess community as well. In August 2023, Praggnanandhaa had qualified for the Candidates after advancing to the final of the World Cup. Four months later, Gukesh joined him in the 11th hour. Yet, it was Gukesh who topped the Candidates. Erigaisi, the oldest among the trio, meanwhile went on a rampage and saw his ratings jump by 60 points. Because Ramesh has worked with Praggnanandhaa for a long time, he knew he would get a frank response. "Otherwise, what's the point in having the conversation," Ramesh said. "If you want to hide things, I won't even be asking these questions. If my student is not going to be frank with me, I won't be working with them. And I'm not going to be honest with my students, they should not be working with me. There should be some trust between the trainer and the player." So the duo addressed the 19-year-old's mental state (something they have always spoken about).


Time of India
5 hours ago
- Time of India
Coach reveals how Praggnanandhaa dealt with tough times as Gukesh raced ahead
CHENNAI: The new-age rivalry in Indian chess is getting fiercer day by day. Three young Indian boys sit in the top-six of the live world ratings — R Praggnanandhaa at No. 4, Arjun Erigaisi next, and world champion D Gukesh close behind. But it's the duel between 20-year-old Pragg and 19-year-old Gukesh that stokes the flame. In fact, Pragg was the first to reach the Candidates among the two, after securing his berth at the World Cup in August 2023. Gukesh found his way later through the Chennai Grand Masters in December, clinched his spot, and went all the way to be crowned world champion. Meanwhile, Pragg's run at the Candidates in April 2024 didn't pan out as hoped; he finished fifth. The Chennai boy had told TOI earlier that the previous year had been a difficult period. Pragg's long-time coach, RB Ramesh, revealed how they paved the way for a comeback this year. 'First thing is he was playing a bit too much last year. And he is not used to playing so much. We always have some breaks in between where we can rest and go through what went wrong, what changes we have to make. But we didn't get that opportunity till the end of the year,' Ramesh said on the sidelines of the Chennai Grand Masters event on Monday. 'And then we spoke a lot...I gave my feedback; he gave his feedback. And what changes we need to make. These were the things we were discussing at the end of last year: 'Does it have a negative impact on you?'…Because Gukesh, rating-wise, went up. And then, Pragg was 2,740 in January (2024), and managed 2740 something in December as well. He had some ups and downs in between. So 'does others' performance have an impact on you?' These were some of the issues we discussed. And, he has been able to get results so far this year.' Ramesh said that for prodigies like Pragg, learning to share the stage with peers of the same age was something new. 'We are all human, and we are emotional people. So, it will have an impact when your competitors are doing better. It can affect you. At the same time, it can inspire you and motivate you. But you also don't want to be left behind. So, in a way, it's positive, but it can also be depressing and pressurising if you don't treat it in the right manner. I think everyone has to go through it. Initially, it was not very easy because they were young, and they didn't have the maturity. And also, it was new. 'For example, when Pragg won the World Under-18 Championship, he felt at that time he was the best player in the world. And suddenly there is a competition and that too someone of your age. This was new. But I think in the last two years, everyone kind of got used to this. So, they don't see them as contemporaries anymore, there's a healthy race.' Ramesh is crystal clear on how Pragg should chart his course forward. To brave the storm of doubts, rivalry, and pressure, the youngster needs to be self-reliant, the coach said. 'Ideally, if someone wants to be the world champion, he or she should not be looking for motivation and inspiration from others. The less reliant you are on others, the closer you will be to becoming a world champion. The more you rely on others, it's like you don't believe in yourself. In that sense, that has been our approach. He has to be very independent, make his own decisions, go through the hardships himself, learn to deal with them, and grow and evolve in the process. ' Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!


Indian Express
5 hours ago
- Indian Express
Barcelona-Villarreal LaLiga match in Miami moves closer to reality after Spanish football federation approval
Spanish football could finally cross the Atlantic after the Royal Spanish Football Federation approved a request for Barcelona and Villarreal to play their December LaLiga match in Miami – a move nearly a decade in the making. The RFEF board gave the green light on Monday for the teams' matchday 17 game to be played at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami on December 20 in the first step towards the competition playing an official match abroad for the first time in its history. The proposal now heads to European soccer's governing body UEFA before requiring final approval from FIFA – the last hurdle in LaLiga President Javier Tebas' American dream. 'At its meeting on 11 August 2025, the RFEF Board of Directors received a request from Villarreal CF and FC Barcelona to play their match on matchday 17 of the first division in the United States,' RFEF said in a statement. '… the Royal Spanish Football Federation will submit the request to UEFA to begin the process for subsequent authorisation by FIFA for the match to be played at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami on 20 December 2025 …' LaLiga has been pursuing their transatlantic vision for almost a decade, emulating the strategy employed by the NFL and NBA to establish themselves in other markets. Tebas' first attempt came in the 2018-19 season with a proposed Girona-Barca match in the U.S. that never materialised. A planned Villarreal-Atletico fixture for 2019-20 also fell through, with the matter ending up in the courts after the RFEF refused authorisation. The courts sided with the Spanish Federation, then under Luis Rubiales, who was sacked in 2023 for kissing team player Jenni Hermoso on the mouth celebrating Spain's women's World Cup victory in Sydney. There was another near-miss last season, with a Barcelona-Atletico match almost proceeding before LaLiga pulled back at the last minute to better structure the project. Now, with regulatory barriers cleared and internal conflicts resolved, the Villarreal-Barca clash appears poised to finally deliver Spanish football's long-awaited American adventure.