1. How did it feel when the entire country turned its head towards you while playing the finals? A lot of pressure?
Of course, I was under pressure as we lost a couple of great batswomen and hence, the upcoming ones in the line had a lot of pressure and the pressure of the World Cup as a whole. However, I was confident when I batted because I was handling the ball well, so, I was just batting to get those runs.
2. Your team has finally made the citizens realize what women could do. That’s a great achievement. How does it feel to be a part of a huge history you created as a team?
When we stepped into the World Cup, we had no expectations out of the game, in fact, we had no expectations to even reach the finals. Our initial aim was to get to the semi finals. However, playing finals on such a big occasion we were definitely upset for not winning it. When we returned to India we were treated like we have achieved something new and opened up a new door for a new cause. This new revolution is important, it is a rebirth for women’s cricket in India, we have garnered a lot of attention through this and I am definitely expecting a lot of changes in the near future.
3. What is your style of batting and how different is it from the others?
My style of batting is aggressive. I do not take the time to settle down and bat, unlike my fellow batswomen. I feel that from the very first ball I must hit it to my fullest.
4. Why do you think the management decided for you to not play the first few games in the world cup?
That is completely the management’s decision and I am absolutely okay with it. I do not believe in why I wasn’t chosen but I respect the decision. All of this did not matter much to me and all I wanted to do was contribute my part to the game.
5. Do you think your aggressive batting puts you into trouble at times? Especially in the world cup?
Yes, it does put me in trouble a lot of times because the style of batting that I do is more like there is a possibility to succeed in 2 out of 10 games approximately – the failure is much more for this style of batting. However, at the same time, those two or three innings that come my way is a winning knock and that gives a complete satisfaction for majorly contributing to my team. I will always play this game because I have been given the role of a finisher and it is my job to get quick runs. I will continue with my style of batting until my role in the lineup changes.
6. How was it playing at The Lords?
This is my second time at The Lords and the last time we played we won against England. This time it was completely different and the stadium was packed. This was definitely the first time for me playing in a packed stadium but the cheer and ambiance around us were extraordinary. For the fact that there was so much noise, it really did not get to us. The only difficulty we faced was having a conversation on-field as it was very difficult for the other person to hear amidst the noise. It was a wonderful experience overall.
7. The state of Karnataka is planning to give you a prestigious award. How is the feeling?
It feels brilliant when your state and your people recognize you for who you are and your talent. To be honest, from the time we landed in India, we have been received so well and we have been appreciated for what we’ve done. It gives us immense pleasure to get appreciated because the amount of effort we’ve put is now being recognized and applauded for.
8. What have you learned from this ICC World Cup?
I’ve always believed what’s written in destiny is bound to happen and I’m a true believer of that. Similarly, anything can happen in a game and you have to be prepared for that.