Harmanpreet Kaur wants youngsters to gain confidence from WPL; MI coach Charlotte Edwards reckons it’ll make India a ‘powerhouse’
Ahead of the much-anticipated inaugural edition of the Women’s Premier League, Mumbai Indians skipper Harmanpreet Kaur said she was ecstatic to be at the helm of the franchise.
“It is a big opportunity for me and I’m looking to take it with both hands. Hopefully, I’ll be able to deliver my hundred percent. I will give my best in every way,” Harmanpreet said in the team’s first press meet on Thursday.
Mumbai Indians’ WPL campaign will start on Saturday at the DY Patil Stadium where they will lock horns with Delhi Capitals.
Want youngsters to gain confidence: Harmanpreet
Harmanpreet is certain that domestic talent would benefit majorly from the Women’s Premier League. She reckons that the exposure she gained through playing in the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) and “The Hundred” has greatly aided her cricket development.
“The WPL is a great platform to get to know overseas players, and take something from their experience. The amount of experience and confidence I got playing in WBBL and The Hundred, I want the young Indian domestic players to get the same,” she said.
“We are just here to play cricket. For me, it is very important to just be myself and enjoy the moment, because that is when I play my best cricket,” she added.
EXCLUSIVE: Harmanpreet’s first interview as Captain of MI 🎥
Paltan, there’s a special message for you 🎧@ImHarmanpreet | #OneFamily #MumbaiIndians #AaliRe #WPL pic.twitter.com/hwex8ljhOw
— Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) March 2, 2023
Banking on all-rounders
The MI squad is studded with a brilliant line-up, one that features some competent all-rounders and captain Harmanpreet believes that the strength of her team is their balanced roster.
“We’ve got lots of options with the ball. And obviously we’ve got depth with the bat which I think is going to hold us in good stead hopefully throughout this tournament. I personally like all the rounders we have. I feel you have more options when you are on the field, the franchise I’m going to play for has more all-rounders and I am a big fan of all-rounders. I feel lucky that I’m in MI because they have the best allrounders,” she said.
WPL is going to make India a powerhouse: Edwards
Charlotte Edwards, head coach of the MI women’s team, believes that the tournament is going to be a gamechanger. “It is going to carve out unbelievable talent. The tournament is going to make India a powerhouse of women’s cricket for the next few years,” she said.
Edwards also believes that the WPL will have a “huge impact” on Indian cricket. “The Hundred is really special for women’s cricket. I only expect WPL is only going to be bigger. It is massive for Indian cricket, making the Indian team stronger for a couple of years,” the former English cricketer said.
“We have a very good coaching team. We had a good 10 days together. I feel really ready and the players are ready to go. We will focus more on the team than individuals. They are very clear what their roles are going to be,” she added.
Better opportunities for players
Not only will the WPL revolutionise women’s cricket in India, but it has also given the players a lot of new opportunities. Speaking about the same, Kaur revealed that players are now being approached for brand collaborations and brands now want female cricketers as their ambassadors too.
“I think nowadays things are changing very quickly. We have seen many brands coming and reaching out to us so I think that thing is not there that they’re only going to the men’s cricket. They want us as their ambassadors too.
“That change is there and hopefully, you know many more will come our way because we have also been working hard for so many years and we also deserve that same kind of respect,” she added.
