Mithali says India must be spot on in WC to end wait

New delhi: Former captain Mithali Raj feels India can end their long-standing trophy drought if they seize key moments and swing the momentum in their favour during big games at the upcoming Women’s ODI World Cup.

Hosts India will enter next month’s World Cup as tournament favourites alongside Australia and England. The Harmanpreet Kaur-led ‘Women in Blue’ will be chasing their maiden world title, having fallen short twice in the finals in the 50-over format.

“I think (India) needs to seize those small moments during the big games,” Raj told ICC Digital. “That’s where the balance (is) of the teams which are in contention. They try and use more of those moments and try to shift the momentum to their side and India need to seize those moments,” she added.

Raj, who led India to the World Cup finals in 2005 and 2017, feels a title triumph would have a transformative impact on the women’s game in the country. “I think it would be huge. I mean, that is something that all the players, whoever picks up the bat, whoever wants to represent the country would want to win the World Cup because so far India hasn’t,” she said.