Mumbai: BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia has expressed confidence that the Harmanpreet Kaur-led side will carry forward the winning habit from last year’s ODI World Cup triumph at home into the upcoming Women’s T20 World Cup, to be played from June 12 to July 5 in England.
“We have prepared a very strong team. So, I hope India will do excellently well. India is playing three T20I matches before the World Cup. That is a good preparation, and after that, there will be two warm-up matches before the actual World Cup starts.
“So, with five matches before the World Cup, the Indian team will get fully acclimatised in English conditions. I am sure with the confidence they are carrying after the World Cup victory last year in the ODIs in India. So, this team is with a positive mindset. They will be travelling on May 22.
“I hope they will do excellently and bring a lot of pride to our country. Definitely, they have got the taste of success, and that is very important. If you start winning, then that has to become a habit. So I hope this team will carry that habit to England and also bring another trophy to BCCI and to the country,” said Saikia to reporters on the sidelines of the Women’s T20 World Cup squad announcement.
Saikia highlighted the depth created by the Women’s Premier League (WPL) in terms of talent pool. “Look, there is a fitness issue, but we are tackling it. Our pool has become very big since WPL has started. This is the T20 World Cup, T20 format. So WPL has removed a lot of players from our team. Today, the selector has two injured players, but they get the same standard player for three replacements. So that is a very good thing.
“It is a big pool, so one or two players can get injured, but there is an adequate, sufficient, and quality replacement for the players. BCCI is always positive. I have seen the positive signs of our team. They will definitely work hard to win the trophy and bring it to India,” he added.
On fast-tracking Vaibhav Sooryavanshi into the men’s T20I team, Saikia said, “Look, they have started their career, and our selectors are going everywhere. They are noticing all the performances. That’s why all five of our selectors are physically present in all the IPL matches, because if a new talent comes up, they should be seen. That’s why we are trying.
“It’s a very good thing that there are already many players in Indian white-ball cricket. There are already many players in Indian white-ball cricket. There are many good players like Sooryavanshi. Look at the IPL auction. The franchisee has selected many new players. They are giving great performances. So it’s a very positive thing, and there is a bright future for Indian cricket,” he added.
On IPL playoffs venues, Saikia said, “We are working on identifying the appropriate venue for the IPL playoffs and the final. So, we will take another two days.”
On the Riyan Parag vaping in the dressing room issue, who was fined 25 percent of the match fee and given a demerit point, he added, “We are exploring some other options about how to bring the teams that are violating the norms. We will be taking some action. We are looking at the various terms and conditions and protocols of IPL (around), and how the teams behave.
“It is not just players or officials. As a team, they have to maintain some decorum so that the image of the IPL is never adversely affected. To ensure that we have to take a call, and we will be taking some action.”
Quizzed on high scores in the IPL, Saikia said, “Everybody is enjoying the matches, first of all. All the fans are enjoying them. The bowlers are taking good wickets. Some teams are posting very low totals, if you look at the overall scorecards. Others are chasing 260 as well. So, everything is happening. It is a full bouquet in one package.”
On the Impact Player rule and its future, Saikia remarked, “We will review it after the tournament is over. In the middle of the tournament, we cannot take a call. There has been no official request asking us to revisit this particular Impact Player rule. I sometimes read about it in the media, but if it comes from the teams, then we will have to take a call. So far, no such situation has arisen.”
Asked about the series against Bangladesh, Saikia concluded by saying, “Let us enjoy the IPL. Our schedule is already packed. After the IPL, we have the Afghanistan series, then the trip to the United Kingdom. After that, we will think about the remaining part of the season.”
(IANS)
