The Indian women's team are yet to get their hands on the coveted World Cup in either format, despite reaching the finals of both ODI and T20 previously. With the next edition of the ODI World Cup looming, Harmanpreet Kaur-led Team India will look to end the drought.
The tournament was officially launched on Monday in the presence of ICC chairman Jay Shah, along with former India cricketers Yuvraj Singh and Mithali Raj in Mumbai. Yuvraj was named as the Player of the Tournament in 2011 World Cup, which was India's second triumph at the marquee event. Mithali, on the other end, has led the team to two runners-up position in the elite ICC tournament.
In Pics | 7 massive records Sanju Samson holds for Rajasthan Royals
In order to motivate the squad, which will be in spotlight, Yuvraj narrated a story from the 2011 edition, where India found themselves on backfoot. India had then engaged in a tie against England and endured a defeat against South Africa in the group stage, which led to some serious backlash from fans.
"I will give you an example of what we felt at that time. Until then, no country had won the World Cup at home, and it had been 28 years since we won a World Cup. I remember we tied the game against England and we lost to South Africa, from a winning position. We got a lot of backlash," Yuvraj said during the event.
"I remember Sachin Tendulkar and coach Gary Kirsten coming and having a chat with us - 'From here on what are the things we need to do to win the tournament - no one is going to watch TV; no one is going to read the newspaper; when you walk towards the ground put your headphones on, to focus on the field. While going back to your room, put your headphones back on. Cut the noise and try to do what you need to do to win the tournament," he added.
The advice worked wonders as India defeated Sri Lanka in a well fought final to lift the silverware for the second time in history.
Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
