"Sometimes you also get self-doubt" - Devika Vaidya on being in and out of the Indian team in the T20 World Cup
Indian all-rounder Devika Vaidya has played nine ODIs and 13 T20Is so far and has had her share of ups and downs in international cricket. She played just a couple of games in the Women's T20 World Cup in South Africa earlier this year.
Instead of getting disheartened, Vaidya looked at it practically and tried to understand the reason for being left out. She feels that her time away from international cricket has made her mentally stronger.
In an exclusive chat with Sportskeeda, here's what Devika Vaidya had to say about understanding of team combination and her role:
"The conditions there sometimes weren't favouring spinners that much and so the team had to make changes in their combination. Feeling disappointed is natural and sometimes you also get self-doubt, but then it's all good when you understand that the changes made were for the betterment of the team to play a particular combination. My teammates supported me and now I just have the mindset of keeping on practicing hard and not worry about anything else."
India suffered yet another heartbreaking loss in the semifinal of that tournament. Australia clinched the game despite the Women in Blue dominating most of the chase. On this, Devika Vaidya added:
"The team atmosphere is always positive as you can exchange your thoughts with the coaching staff and the captain. The preparation (for T20 World Cup) was also absolutely on point so I don't think we erred in that area. We even executed the plans well as when Jemimah and Harman were batting, it seemed we would easily best Australia. But we made some silly mistakes and those cost us the game."
Devika Vaidya on dealing with setback of semifinal exit
Indian players like Jemimah Rodrigues and skipper Harmanpreet Kaur were absolutely crestfallen after the loss against Australia. Devika Vaidya also accepted that it was a tough defeat to take. However, she believes the team is on the right path and that it's just a matter of time before they get that elusive silverware.
On this, Vaidya stated:
"Definitely the feeling was horrible to miss out on an ICC Trophy. Setbacks are tough to take, especially when it's in the semifinals. But I feel we are on the right track as new talent is coming through, mindset has begun to change and also fitness has become a top priority. I feel it's just a matter of time before we win that trophy. We have to be mentally strong, be patient and keep working hard."
With the next Women's T20 World Cup to be held in Bangladesh, Devika Vaidya's leg-spin and batting ability could prove to be vital to India's chances.