India women’s ODI skipper Mithali Raj said that the presence of a sports psychologist with the squad in New Zealand helps all players to absorb pressure and deal with pressure-cooker situations. Mithali also pointed out that such professional help is the need of the hour in Covid times.

The Indian women’s team is in New Zealand for a white-ball series and then to play in the ICC Women’s World Cup 2022, in what is a two-month-long tour. The Indian team will be eager to do well in the series to have enough and be well prepared for the ICC event which begins on March 4.

Apart from India and New Zealand, women’s teams from Australia, England, South Africa, Bangladesh, West Indies, and Pakistan will be competing in the ICC ODI World Cup 2022. The Indian women’s team will open their tournament on March 6 with a match against arch-rivals Pakistan at the Bay Oval in Mount Manganui.

It Does Help To Have One On One Sessions With A (Sports Psychologist): Mithali Raj

Mithali Raj will be aiming to finish on a high after having been to the finals of the Women’s World Cup twice in 2005 and 2017. India lost to England in the finals of the last edition of the tournament at the Lord’s.

However, due to the COVID pandemic, the Indian women’s team has been starved of cricket, only returning to international cricket last year against South Africa at home. Mithali had earlier also spoken about the need for a psychologist to deal with the pressure of knockout games, but with tours now being played in bubbles, professional help is needed all the more.

“In today’s times, it is even more important to have them around with the team with the longer duration of tour and quarantine and bubbles.  It is an extended tour of two months with the ODI series and the World Cup.

“It does help to have one on one sessions with a (sports psychologist). You see things differently and it helps you to understand yourself, to find your ways to deal with pressure and quarantine. To have somebody is always helpful,” Mithali said on the eve of the opening T20 against New Zealand.

The team underwent a 10-day quarantine in Christchurch before travelling to Queenstown.

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