Team India vice-captain Harmanrpeet Kaur on Wednesday opened up on the role of the team’s sports psychologist Mugdha Bavare, who helped her overcome a poor form just in time for the Women’s World Cup, starting March 4 in New Zealand.
Harmanrpeet Kaur has said that she was getting into a shell and sought answers for her troubles and she found them when she had a chat to Dr. Mugha Bavare during the five-match ODI series against New Zealand. Harmanpreet managed just 33 runs in the first 3 ODIs against New Zealand and was eventually dropped for the 4th ODI. Her position also came under the scanner but she bounced back, hitting an important 63 in India’s only victory against New Zealand in the 5th ODI. And, then hitting a match-winning 104 against South Africa in the warm-up match ahead of the Women’s World Cup as well.
“Mugdha ma’am has been of a lot of help, especially in the last four games which we played against New Zealand where my performance was not good and even I was going into the shell. I had things in my mind but I was not aware of it, after talking to her I got the solutions. I got clear ideas after talking to her those things really helped during lat 2-3 games,” Harmanpreet Kaur told the press on Wednesday.
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Captain Mithali Raj had also stressed the need for a sports psychologist for India to travel to major tournaments and they got Dr. Mugdha on board for their tour of New Zealand and the World Cup. However, the T20I captain has gone through a rough patch for quite a long time, having managed only 3 fifties over the last 3 years as well.
“I know people talk more about my 171-knock and that is a standard I have set for myself, maybe that’s why my small knocks of 30-40 runs, which are crucial to the team, are not given importance,” Harmanpreet Kaur added. “I don’t want to judge myself through numbers – what matters to me is that when the team needs me, I can stand up for them be it by scoring 100 runs or 10 runs.”
“Yes definitely (feeling confident about batting), there were a lot of ups and down in my performance but the last hundred performance has given me a lot of confidence. The innings against New Zealand was very crucial for me. I got the rhythm I needed now it’s very important for me to continue this rhythm and momentum,” she further added.
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Meanwhile, Harmanpreet Kaur backed big-hitting opener Shafali Verma, who is going through a poor form, to find form at the Women’s World Cup. However, Shafali managed just 96 runs in the 5-match ODI series in New Zealand. India will begin their campaign at the Women’s World Cup against Pakistan on Sunday as well.
“She’s a very important player for us and she understands her role well. It happens, sometimes, as hard as you try it sometimes doesn’t translate in performance. This is when we have to give her some time to work on herself. We’re all talking to her – me, the other players, Mugda. She will come good at the right time. Right now it’s important to remind her of the good things she has done rather than what’s not going her way. I’m sure she’ll click at the right time, she’s someone who has done very well for us and will bounce back,” Harmanpreet Kaur concluded.
