Nobody is bigger than the game: Veda Krishnamurthy

“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.”

Krishanmurthy, who made her debut in 2011, is a naturally aggressive player who rarely holds back regardless of the situation. She admitted that although her methods have sometimes cost India dearly, she has no regrets of backing her natural instincts.

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“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.”

Krishnamurthy, who has played in 124 international matches for India across formats, talked about the influence of Mithali Raj, captain of India’s ODI side, on other players and how she has learnt a lot from her. “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.”

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27-year-old Krishnamurthy feels the captaincy styles of Raj and Harmanpreet Kaur, India’s T20I captain, are distinct and they have been doing a fantastic job in leading the sides.

“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 said.

Krishnamurthy, who was part of Indian side that played Australia in the 2020 T20 World Cup final, thinks women’s cricket has evolved remarkably over the last decade.

“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.

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