Yuvraj Singh to Indian women's World Cup team – ‘Sign autographs happily, but cut outside noise with headphones'; Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana riff off 2017 inspiration
A batsman, who faced similar situations during the 2011 Men's World Cup which India won after a gap of 28 years, Yuvraj reckoned that experience could come handy when things are not going too well for Harmanpreet Kaur & Co.
'The fans are always wanting fours and sixes, or wickets. That's the game. They come to watch. They want entertainment. They want to be entertained. There will be times when things are not going to go well. And that's the time when the experience, the self-belief, has to take over. The belief that I can be the player in this moment. I think every time you walk in the game, you have to believe that,' Yuvraj said during the ceremony for the ODI World Cup organised by International Cricket Council (ICC).
India will play the first game against Sri Lanka on September 30 at Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru, and proceed to play every team in a round robin format.
He recalled how after India lost to South Africa in 2011 at Nagpur, the backlash in the media had begun, and it was then that Sachin Tendulkar and coach Gary Kirsten, came up with idea of dealing with it. In order to cut this outside noise, the team decided not to watch TV and not to read newspapers.
'Social media wasn't big that time, right? Now it is. Gary said when you walk through crowds, you're ok to go and sign signatures but put on your headphones. Go and focus on your field. When you go back to your room, put your headphones back on. Be in that moment, cut the noise, and try and do what you need to do,' he recalled.
Playing at home won't be easy for the Indian women, but Yuvraj said each player has to carry their belief that 'I'm the person who makes the difference.'
India has never won a women's World Cup till date and captain Harmanpreet Kaur wants to break the barrier now.
'We want to break that barrier which all Indians are waiting for. World Cups are always special, I always want to do something special for my country,' Harmanpreet said. The World Cup begins from September 30 at home and Harmanpreet explained that playing against Australia would be most challenging.
Opener Smriti Mandhana says there has been a change in mindset within the Indian dressing room. There has been more exposure for the team than before. The Indian team has been travelling a lot and proper planning is in place.
'The mindset has changed over the last two or three years. There's a calmness with which I want to go about on the field. Our whole team is heading in that direction. We know where we want to work hard. And when we enter the field, we know we've just got to implement,' Mandhana pointed out. Further adding, 'That's been a massive change for the team as well as personally. Whenever we've done well (on the field), everything else has taken care of itself. We are preparing really really well. 'We've had a preparation camp. We've had an England tour. We've one tour ahead of the World Cup. To be honest, that's the only thing we are thinking about.'
The major difference between 2017 when India last made finals and now is how the Women's Premier League has made youngsters battle-ready. Middle order lynchpin Jemimah Rodrigues spoke of 22-year-old pacer Kranti Gaud, leading wicket-taker in India's 2-1 ODI series win in England with nine scalps that included a six-wicket haul. 'There's not as much pressure as on international debut,' Jemimah said. 'In this team, we see that. We look at Kranti (Gaud), she's fearless. That attitude is so nice to see that it pushes each one of us.'
India missed out narrowly to England in 2017, but Harmanpreet's 171 against Australia in the semi-final is right up there with legendary World Cup knocks. 'That knock was something really special to me. Special to the entire women's cricket. After that knock, a lot of things changed for me and women's cricket,' Kaur added. 'That time I didn't realise (its impact). But when we returned to India, even though we lost the final, the amount of people that were waiting and cheering for us, it was really special.'
Mandhana has been in fine form in the last few seasons, and will hope to go better on her haul of 232 runs, including a century against West Indies from 2017.
'We all remember that World Cup. Not just my century, we remember each other's innings as well,' she added. 'To witness that 171 (from Harmanpreet Kaur). Everyone came together in that World Cup. 'Not just the World Cup but what followed. The kind of welcome we got back from the fans. The way things changed after that World Cup.'
Jemimah Rodrigues, still rising up the ranks, recalled going to the airport to receive and support the team, and the fervour as a fan. 'I remember all these people, they were tired and at the same time disappointed, because they were so close, and yet it felt so far,' she said. 'And they walked out of the airport thinking nobody was going to be there. And I can tell you at 5:30 in the morning, the whole airport was packed with crowd,' she recalled a goosebumps moment.
'People right now would think that that's normal. But at that time, for women's sport, it wasn't. I remember this whole bunch of players coming in and going back, because they weren't expecting it.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
22 minutes ago
- First Post
Graphics: How Bodhana Sivanandan became the youngest female to defeat a Grandmaster
Let's take a look at the journey of Bodhana Sivanandan, a 10-year-old British chess prodigy of Indian origin, who became the youngest female to defeat a Grandmaster. She also earned her Woman International Master title and first Woman Grandmaster norm in the same event. Bodhana Sivanandan, a 10-year-old British girl of Indian origin, has just etched her name in history books. She stunned the chess world by becoming the youngest female player ever to defeat a Grandmaster. The chess prodigy beat 60-year-old English GM Peter Wells in the final round of the 2025 British Chess Championship in Liverpool on Sunday, August 10. Bodhana also became the youngest Woman International Master (WIM) and secured her first Woman Grandmaster (WGM) norm in the same event. Her family is originally from Trichy, Tamil Nadu but Bodhana was born and brought up in Harrow, London. Her remarkable achievements at such a young age have made her one of the biggest rising players in world chess. Let's explore her journey so far through some creative graphics attached below. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
Indian Express
22 minutes ago
- Indian Express
IND vs ENG: ‘Control' over ‘intent' — How change in approach reaped dividends after NZ debacle at home and disappointment in Australia
Accepting keyword 'accumulation' over 'aggression' may have come in the way of a series win for Shubman Gill's India on their recent England sojourn. But if one takes into account the backdrop of a 0-3 home whitewash against New Zealand and the batting shambles witnessed in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series in Australia, the 2-2 stalemate may pass off as a win. A win on the 'execution' front for India's batting main cast manning the red-ball transition. A morale-booster for head coach Gautam Gambhir and a riposte to Bazball cultists. The result at Lord's will sting, but the Indian team management and the new batting order will take pride in ticking off fresh boxes, recalibrated post the 1-3 debacle in Australia. The visitors weren't always equipped to take 20 wickets on the UK tour, but the radical batting overhaul is a worthy uptick that Gill & Co will hope to build on before their next SENA trip in October 2026. The cornerstone for change was firmly placed on a base distinct from that of the Englishmen, not necessarily keen on emulating their rapid scoring bursts. England recorded 3,378 runs in nine innings in the series, their 4.17 run rate the third-highest ever in a five-match Test series. Trading run rate for sheer volume, India piled on 3,809 – the most runs ever in a five-match series – at a higher average (42.32). Striking the right balance between the several gears of five-day batting, India's 3.62 run rate in the series ranks as their best-ever in a series featuring at least five Tests. A cursory review of the series reflects the flip in the script. India's three 500-plus run-scorers – Shubman Gill, KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja – exuded effortless 'control' for the majority of the series, admittedly on pitches prepared to wear down seam-bowling packs. The comparison of India's batting in Australia and England reveals telling enhancements. India batted 2,371 deliveries more in England than Down Under in equal innings (10), propelling the 4.1 percent gain in control percentages (80% to 84.1%) as a monumental marker of consistent quality batting in the UK. Channelling the old-school instincts naturally benefited batters of the ilk of Rahul and Jadeja, run-accumulators in whites. The effects also rubbed off on Gill and Rishabh Pant; their sharpened 'timing' produced stronger results when juxtaposed against their returns on previous tours. Firming up control, formally measured as the number of balls middled, ensured that Gill, Pant, Rahul and Jadeja played key roles in the batting revival. The skipper marked the prominent surge, translating time in the middle into better results when pressing on the attack. According to Cricket-21 data, Gill was dismissed three times in only 32 deliveries (44 runs) against seamers while attacking in Australia, with false shots creeping up to 28 percent. Attacking 215 balls off pacers of the 1,150 deliveries he faced in England, Gill reduced his false shots to only 10.2 percent. The staggering gain in control meant only two dismissals to pace while recording 338 runs from deliveries he chose to attack. Pant left a similar imprint in England. Of the 89 attacking shots played, Pant made contact with the sweet spot of his bat on 76 occasions. Collectively, the Indian batting average on attacking shots against pace doubled from 30.3 to 60.5 between the two series, scoring 633 more runs with six fewer wickets lost in England. The new batting template eased the burden on Rahul and Jadeja, with both batters securing 500-plus run tallies for the first time in their long careers. The 2-2 scoreline may be a result of lack of assertiveness on the bowling front. But the approach of putting a price on their wicket on English soil may bind this Indian line-up together before spicier challenges ahead.
Indian Express
22 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Parliament passes National Sports Bill after extensive discussion
The National Sports Governance Bill was on Tuesday passed by the Parliament with Rajya Sabha giving its nod a mere 24 hours after Lok Sabha, marking a historic first for India's sports administration that is now set to be regulated by a national board and have its own dispute resolution mechanism. The National Anti-Doping (Amendment) Bill, which reinforces NADA's autonomy as required by the World Anti-Doping Agency, was also passed by the Parliament. The two bills now await presidential assent to be notified as acts. Soon after Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Mansukh Mandaviya moved the bills for consideration and passage in the Upper House at 3pm, there were vociferous opposition protests over revision of electoral rolls in Bihar. The opposition eventually staged a walkout led by Leader of Opposition and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, who demanded a discussion on the revision of electoral rolls in Bihar. 'In 20 countries, there is sports law. I request the Rajya Sabha to make India the 21st country with a sports law,' Mandaviya said in his address which was followed by a discussion that lasted over two hours. During the discussion, BJD MP Subhashish Khuntia raised concerns about the centralisation of sports governance due to the bill. He also felt that the bill did not have clarity on district and block level development of athletes. 'The bill should empower, not control,' he said. Mandaviya responded by saying that the government is only seeking to be a facilitator. 'In this bill, we are bringing transparency, not control, not interference. Government doesn't want to control. We are being the supporters and providers of a structure,' he asserted. Former All India Football Federation President and NCP leader Praful Patel and Indian Olympic Association President P T Usha, who is a nominated member, were among the prominent voices who lauded the bill. 'It was a long-standing legislation that was required. We have had a sports code, it's been a loose code and never stood any legal scrutiny. What is happening today is the need of the hour,' Patel said. 'We are hoping to win the 2036 bid of Olympics. That itself would be a redefining moment for Indian sports. This bill is absolutely in the right direction. We need this to achieve glory that is beyond cricket. It is imperative that this bill be passed with fullest support,' he added. Usha expressed similar sentiments and said, 'This bill will usher in transparency, accountability, and gender parity. It will empower athletes and build confidence among sponsors and federations. It is about justice and fair-play.' Mandaviya has described it as 'the single biggest reform in sports since independence.' The most striking aspect of the bill is the NSB to create a stringent system of accountability. The NSB will have the mandate to de-recognise a national body that fails to hold elections for its Executive Committee or has committed 'gross irregularities in the election procedures.' Failure to publish annual audited accounts or 'misused, misapplied or misappropriated public funds' would also be liable for action by the NSB but it would be required to consult the concerned global body before making its move. Another feature is the proposal for a National Sports Tribunal, which will have the powers of a civil court and decide disputes ranging from selection to election involving federations and athletes. Once instituted, Tribunal's decisions can only be challenged in the Supreme Court. The bill makes some concessions on the issue of age cap for administrators by allowing those in the bracket of 70 to 75 to contest elections if the concerned international bodies' statutes and bylaws allow for it. It is a departure from the national sports code that capped the age limit at 70. All recognised national sports bodies would also come under the ambit of the Right to Information (RTI) Act, something that the BCCI has vehemently opposed since it is not dependent on government funding. However, the cricket board has got some leeway on that front with the government amending the bill to ensure that RTI would be applicable only on bodies that rely on government funding or support. Another significant amendment made to the draft is the mandatory term of two tenures in the EC to be eligible for fighting NSF elections. That mandatory tenure has been reduced to one term, clearing the decks for the likes of IOA President P T Usha to seek a re-election. The National Anti-Doping (Amendment) Bill-2025 incorporates the changes sought by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), which objected to 'government interference' in the functioning of the country's Anti-Doping Agency (NADA). The act was originally passed in 2022 but its implementation had to be put on hold due to objections raised by WADA. The world body objected to the institution of a National Board for Anti-Doping in Sports, which was empowered to make recommendations to the government on anti-doping regulations. The Board, which was to comprise a chairperson and two members appointed by the central government, was also authorised to oversee the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) and even issue directions to it. WADA rejected this provision as government interference in an autonomous body. In the amended bill, the Board has been retained but without the powers to oversee NADA or the advisory role it was previously assigned. The amended bill asserts NADA's 'operational independence'.
