Say cheese: In the middle of frenzied welcome, Kamalini’s family takes time for a selfie.
| Photo Credit: B. VELANKANNI RAJ
G. Kamalini arrived in Chennai on Tuesday, physically tired after an overnight journey from Malaysia via Bengaluru but mentally rearing to go once again.
Speaking to The Hindu, the youngster looked back on India’s successful ICC U-19 women’s T20 World Cup campaign and said the squad barely felt any pressure to perform.
“The whole team and the staff were very close. Sometimes, we would return from training sessions drenched in sweat with no energy left to even stand. It didn’t matter. We danced for two hours every single day before dinner. By the end of it, even the non-dancers enthusiastically took part,” the 16-year-old said.
There is little time for her to savour her World Cup success. Her suitcases from Malaysia are likely to stay packed as she heads to join the Mumbai Indians squad for the 2025 edition of the Women’s Premier League.
Team first
“My only goal [with MI] is to make the most of every opportunity they give me. I want to give my best when called upon, beyond that I do not have any big goals.
“I want to play for the team, I do not want to play for my personal goals. By the end, I want to perform in such a way that the team should say ‘we are glad we picked her, she is playing superbly.’ Beyond that, I have no goals of being the top run-getter or the top wicketkeeper,” she said.
Published – February 04, 2025 07:39 pm IST
