“We can’t be living in the past” – Mithali Raj on her public fall-out with Ramesh Powar

The Indian Women’s Team captain in the ODI and Test format Mithali Raj made it clear that she has moved on from the very public disagreement she had with Ramesh Powar during the former’s first tenure as head coach of the side in 2018. Following an exit from the 2018 World Cup, the coach and captain collided on the sidelines which ended up spilling water on the promising campaign India had just had.

Raj was controversially left out of the semi-final clash against England in 2018 and just a few days later, she wrote a letter to the BCCI where she accused Powar of discrimination and bias and added that he had humiliated her. Ramesh Powar was reappointed as the head coach of the side to replace WV Raman. Following his appointment, Raj believes that the two of them have moved on.

“We can’t be living in the past. I’ve played for so many years. I don’t have an ego,” said Raj, who is quarantining in Mumbai ahead of the UK tour. “And 21 years has been a long time for me to sort of, you know, go through many challenges. When it comes to playing for India, it’s like serving your country, so personal issues, I don’t give any weightage.

She added that Powar and her would have to work as a team in order to take India to World Cup glory, something that they fell just short of in 2017. “He is the coach, and he has his set of plans. It’s important that both of us are aligned on the same page to take the team forward. Because even his goal is the same: that the team does well in the World Cup. It’s everybody’s goal in the team.

“I’ve never been a confrontational person nor I am someone who carries the past into the present. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have survived for so long in a sport. It’s important we are on the same page and take the team along, because we are at a very crucial phase of our preparation for the World Cup.”

The Indian Women’s Team will be playing their first Test match in over six years and captain Mithali Raj believes that the team shouldn’t be overawed by the expectations while going into the format.

“I think sometimes it’s good to not get into a game with the baggage of expectations, as in like most of them are making their debut and some of us are playing after a long time, she said.

“It is great that BCCI is trying to organise Test matches in Bilateral series and I believe that every player around the world would want to play more games. We also have continuity. We play another Test in Australia, and it is going to be a historical one for the Indian team because it will be the first time that you’re playing a day-night Test, that too at the WACA(Perth),” she signed off.