"We are the host nation and the conditions are in our favour" - Mithali Raj backs Team India to win the 2023 ODI World Cup
Former India women's team skipper Mithali Raj is confident about the Men in Blue's World Cup aspirations and branded the 2023 edition as an excellent opportunity to win the title.
Team India, whether it be the men's team or the women's team, have struggled to cross the final hurdle in recent times. Despite progress into the knockout stages being a norm, the teams have crumbled under pressure leading to eventual defeat.
The last time the Men in Blue lifted the title, it was on home soil, back in 2011. Now, 12 years later, a chance presents itself to repeat the feat, especially with the winners of the last three editions being the host nation. Mithali Raj said during the finals of the Women's League in Srinagar:
"As an Indian cricket fan, I would want India to play in the final. It is a big opportunity. We are the host nation and the conditions are in our favour. If they (team) do well, we will get another opportunity to lift the World Cup."
Team India will begin their World Cup campaign with a contest against five-time champions Australia at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on October 8.
"For the past two to three years, the BCCI has been making a lot of efforts to promote the women's game and women players" - Mithali Raj
Women's cricket has been on a meteoric rise of late, and the inception of the Women's Premier League (WPL) is a solid indicator of how things are running presently. The inaugural edition of the league in early 2023 was a tremendous success.
Expecting to see more players from Jammu and Kashmir in the WPL in the coming seasons, Mithali Raj said:
"For the past two to three years, the BCCI has been making a lot of efforts to promote the women's game and women players. The WIPL this year has also gone well and it is good for the sports profile. We hope that many players will come up from the state in the next two to three years."
The Indian Premier League (IPL) has seen cricketers from the region, such as Umran Malik and Abdul Samad.
There have been talks of shifting the WPL to a different window in the calendar as well as introducing the home and away format.