Indian cricketer Veda Krishanmurty spoke to Indian Express in a Facebook live session where she opened up about the biggest mistake of her career, backed her natural instinct as well as spoke about the difference between Harmanpreet Kaur and Mithali Raj when it comes to captaincy.
“The biggest mistake of my cricket career was that I thought I was the greatest player when I was 18. I thought I was bigger than the game, that nobody could be better than me,” Krishnamurthy said during a Facebook live session with Indian Express on Thursday (July 23).
“It was only in 2014-15 when things started to fall in place for me. I realized cricket is bigger than anyone. This is true for life as well. You need to have gratitude, appreciation for what you have,” she added.
Veda Krishnamurty made her debut in 2011 and is known for her attacking play. She says that it is her instinct and she also knows that it had cost India many times.
“My aggressive nature has definitely gone against me sometimes in my career. The higher the reward associated with risk, higher is the chance of missing out,” Krishnamurthy said. “But I like to stick to my natural game. If it comes off, it will flip the match in such a way that the opponents cannot come back. Sometimes because of me, things have gone wrong for the team, but that’s cricket. I am the nail in the coffin, either for my team or the other team, depends on how that day turns out. I don’t regret any of the rash shots I played. Regrets don’t work,” she said.
Veda’s role model was Mithali Raj when she began cricket. Opening up about batting with her idol, she said that she learnt a lot from the superstar of the game.
“Mithali scored a 200 in a two-day match when I had just started playing for Karnataka. I was struck by how effortlessly she scored her runs. When I first batted with her, I called up a friend and told her, ‘Do you know who I batted with today?’ That’s the kind of influence she had on us. I have learnt a lot in the 8-9 years I have spent with her,” she said.
“Mithali is very professional. We all try to learn from her how she manages to compartmentalize things, does one thing at a time. She has mastered the art of concentration. She is always carrying her kindle around with her,” she said.
Talking about the captaincy difference between Mithali Raj and Harmanpreet Kaur, she said-
“Mithali is very calm on the field. You discuss your plans beforehand, you are told what your role is, if you are not able to execute your role, she discusses it in the team meeting later. Harmanpreet is a more on-field captain. She is more aggressive; she is always telling you what to do. Both are very good in their own ways and are doing a fantastic job in the different formats right now”.
She added that Indian cricket has evolved with years.
I have seen women’s cricket take baby steps every year. When I made my debut, it was no big deal. Now, when someone makes a debut, it’s a big thing. People know their names and faces. The women’s team’s following took a leap after the 2017 World Cup,” she concluded.
