Guwahati, Sep 29 (IANS) Ahead of India’s opening match in the Women’s ODI World Cup campaign against co-hosts Sri Lanka, senior off-spin bowling all-rounder Deepti Sharma emphasised the importance of starting strong in the competition, saying that it becomes a tone-setter for the rest of the team’s campaign.
India have never won the Women’s ODI World Cup, with their best result being runners-up in the 2005 and 2017 editions of the competition. The Harmanpreet Kaur-led side will begin its pursuit of a first senior World Cup title when it takes on Sri Lanka in the opener at the ACA Stadium on Tuesday.
“The first match is always crucial as it sets the tone for the tournament. We have played against Sri Lanka recently and are familiar with their batting and bowling strengths. Keeping that in mind, we are preparing ourselves accordingly,” said Deepti on JioStar.
The last time these two teams met in an ODI game, India had beaten Sri Lanka to win the tri-series in Colombo earlier this year. India’s vice-captain Smriti Mandhana spoke about how the team could overcome the challenge posed by Sri Lanka, led by Chamari Athapaththu.
“The game against Sri Lanka will be our first, and naturally, there will be expectations around it. But for us, the key is to stay focused on our processes and not get distracted by external pressure. We have played good cricket over the last 12 months, and it’s important to back ourselves and have faith in our abilities,” she said.
India last hosted the Women’s ODI World Cup in 2013, which was won by Australia. The country had hosted the marquee event in 1978 and 1997, respectively. The semifinals of the eight-team 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup are scheduled for October 29 and 30, with the final to be played on November 2.
–IANS
nr/bsk/
