Quotes from Mithali Raj

The more you win, the brand of women's cricket will go higher.

Although I am not in the thick of things when it comes to T20 cricket, but as an ODI captain, I'd like to give more stability to the players.

Cricket was never my first choice. I never wanted to be a sportsperson. It just happened. It was destiny.

When you are on the field as a captain, the mind is always working. You cannot relax at any point of time. You are always focussing on what is going to be the next move, what if it doesn't work, what if the situation changes and you have to change your plan.

When we left Mumbai to play in the World Cup there were hardly any journalists to see us off. But when we returned to India on July 25 having made the final, there were close to a hundred journalists at 2.30 in the morning. It was totally new.

I have captained India in two World Cup finals. I definitely want to win the World Cup before I retire.

India is still searching for its first World Cup title. Australia and England have shown they are able to bounce back from disappointment.

The World Cup, as an event, carries a lot of pressure, irrespective of the number of caps you have earned, and the pressure doubles when you play at home.

Obviously, we don't want to go into a World Cup thinking low about the team. We are very positive and had some good practice matches, which should give us confidence.

As a cricketer and captain, the lowest has the 2013 World Cup as it happened in India. Being the host team, we couldn't qualify for the Super Six and it was a big platform to do well and showcase women's cricket.

At this level, if you are aiming for the World Cup, because the tournament is so long there will be points where the team may lose a couple of games.

All the people who were needed to be told about my decision were informed. 2021 World Cup would definitely be my swansong. I am looking forward to preparing for the World Cup.

Honestly, during the 2018 World Cup itself, I was saying T20 World Cup was going to be my last.

It is important for me, no matter whether I lead or not, that I continue my form even in the World Cup. It is important that you get runs because people look up to you, and the team also expects you to get runs being a senior member of the side.

A lot of people have a different perspective on this but my personal view is that while things have become more professional with we being centrally contracted, we don't play as regularly as the men do. The number of matches we play is too less as compared to men.

Tamil is my mother tongue.

If only a few games are televised and you don't have a follow-up, like no live coverage of the Sri Lanka series after the Australia series, where we did so well, things will not improve.

Even at home I always play with the boys, I only play with the girls when I am closer to the tournament or a series.

As a batter, I would want to see that the best bowler is in my side so I don't have to face him.

Fitness is getting creative as gym equipment is not available at home. I am making do with the resources I have. I'm being given a schedule I can follow by my trainer. Of course it is not close to the exercises I can do in the gym. But I am trying to do as much as I can to maintain my strength.

Sometimes, I sketch, but not every day. I sketch random things, whatever I can get my mind into. I'm not a professional, it is just a hobby I've started.

It will be important because every country is looking forward to getting more girls to play the sport. And if you have another World Cup of, say, Under-19 or Under-21, it gives an opportunity for young girls to compete at that level because there's something to look forward to.

As a young kid in the beginning, I myself did not know that there was women's cricket in India or that there is an Indian women's cricket team.

Whether I lead or not, as a top order batsman I feel people expect a lot from me. I also expect that I do get runs and justify my place in the side as a top order batsman.