Mandhana positive about India’s chances

BENGALURU: Nemesis Australia awaits India in its Birmingham Commonwealth Games opener, but senior batter Smriti Mandhana is in no mood to lose sleep over that.

Days before women’s cricket makes its debut at the multi-sport event, Mandhana refused to call the fivetime T20 world champion a ‘big team’. The Harmanpreet Kaur-led side will open its CWG 2022 campaign against Australia on July 29, and Mandhana said that India has its plans in place for each opposition.

“We have played it (Australia) in openers in quite a lot of tournaments. In a T20 tournament, any team can beat any team. I would not term Australia a big team and make it feel good about that. Definitely, in our heads, the Australia, Pakistan and Barbados matches [in Group A] are important. We will look to win all of them,” Mandhana said. For the record, India lost to Australia in its last T20 World Cup fixture earlier this year.

The opening batter said that javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra’s gold-medal winning feat at the Tokyo Olympics last year gave her goosebumps, adding that the India cricket team would look to take inspiration from his performance.

“We have watched the Olympics and the CWG. When the Indian flag goes high and we hear the National Anthem, we know the kind of feeling it evokes,” the left hander said.

“Definitely, we are aiming for the gold medal. I do not think that we will just look for a podium finish because when the flag goes high and the National Anthem is played, you have the best feeling. I literally got goosebumps when Neeraj got gold at the Tokyo Olympics. We have an opportunity to be there, try and do that. Of course, it is not at the Olympics but at CWG. So, we all are really excited.”

6 cricketers yet to receive visa

Six members of the India women’s cricket contingent are yet to receive their visa, with less than 48 hours remaining for their departure for the Birmingham Commonwealth Games. The India squad is training in Bengaluru and is scheduled to leave for Birmingham on Sunday. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is in touch with the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) regarding the issue. “We have very little control over the process,” said an IOA official. Meanwhile, the India players are yet to receive their official kits, but the IOA has assured that they would be delivered by Saturday.