Mithali Raj was rumoured to be the reason behind Ramesh Powar's ouster as India head coach in 2018. As the former off-spinner recently replaced WV Raman as chief coach, it was speculated whether Powar and Mithali are now in good terms.
On Sunday (May 30), Mithali cleared the air, saying both of them have “moved on” from a bitter past to take the team forward.
Moreover, India’s Test and ODI captain believes personal likes or dislikes don’t matter when one is playing for the country.
“We can’t be living in the past. I’ve played for so many years, I don’t have an ego or I don’t give attention to my personal likes and dislikes. I’ve never done that.”
“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 really give any weightage (to those),” Mithali told PTI in an exclusive chat.
The 38-year-old further said doesn’t like to carry past baggage into her present or future.
“You need to think about the bigger picture. That’s how I am. There are so many things that have happened in the past, but I don’t carry that baggage into my present or in the future.”
Mithali Raj and rest of the Indian women’s squad are currently under isolation in Mumbai ahead of the UK tour, which will be Powar’s first assignment as head coach.
During the England tour, the team will play a four-day Test match followed by three ODIs and three T20Is from June 16 to July 15.
Mithali said the ODI World Cup in New Zealand early next year is the primary goal and everyone is aligned with that.
“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,” she said.
“We can’t be bitter and carry the bitterness. I’ve never been a confrontational person, nor am I someone who carries the past into present. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have survived for so long in a sport, which clearly needs re-inventions and revisions all the time,” she asserted.
“It’s important that 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.”
When asked if the ice is already broken, Mithali replied: “Yeah, we have meetings, discussions regularly so clearly we have moved on.”
(With PTI inputs)
