Harmanpreet wants to lead by example

Her term as ODI captain begins today

June 30, 2022 04:07 pm | Updated 10:25 pm IST

Harmanpreet Kaur.

Harmanpreet Kaur. | Photo Credit: Getty Images

Harmanpreet Kaur seems keen on taking a leaf out of Virat Kohli’s book. The skipper plans to raise the fitness level of the Indian women’s cricket team by setting an example.

India takes on Sri Lanka in the first ODI at Pallekele on Friday. It is her first ODI in the leadership role after she was named captain following the retirement of Mithali Raj from international cricket.

“I have set goals as a captain and fitness is very important,” she said. “As for skills as a player, we have coaches around us, but I want to set a goal for my team in fitness. I want to set an example and motivate them. The team’s fitness is something I really want to improve.”

Stress on fielding

Fielding is another area she would like to focus on. “If we could improve our fitness and fielding, I think we could be the best side,” Harmanpreet said.

She is enjoying captaincy. “I really enjoy this part because when I lead, I feel I am more involved in the game,” she said. “(When I am the captain) I always think about the game and that gives me lots of confidence.”

Need for more Tests

About ICC chairman Greg Barclay’s recent statement that he could not see women’s Tests evolving at any particular speed, Harmanpreet said she wanted to play more games in the longest format. She would like to have at least one Test in bilateral series.

Top News Today

Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.