Ahead of the first ODI against Sri Lanka at Pallekele, Indian skipper Harmanpreet Kaur said captaincy comes naturally to her when she is on the field. The three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka will herald a new start for Team India. The three-match series will start from Friday onwards.


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Though not part of the ICC ODI Championship, it will provide India a chance to move on from their poor performance in the World Cup. “When I am leading, I feel I am more involved in the game. It always gives me a lot of confidence. Captaincy is something that comes naturally to me when I am on the field. Over time, when you have a lot of years of leading (the team), things get easier. Right now, I do not feel extra pressure on me,” she said in a press conference ahead of first ODI.


“If I enjoy as captain, the rest of the group will also feel they can enjoy the moment. That is what I have been discussing in team meetings. I feel I am free to do what I want to do now. When you give players freedom, you can improve more. That is my motive, to give the players freedom to express themselves,” she added.


India won the T20I series against the Lankans by 2-1. For the first time since 2016, India would not have a split captaincy model, with Mithali Raj having retired from International Cricket. Harmanpreet Kaur is now the captain across both white-ball formats now. There is a lot lined up for Team India though the next 50-over World Cup is three years away.


This tour will be followed by Commonwealth Games 2022 in Birmingham, then will arrive the T20I World Cup early next year in South Africa.


Match Details


Sri Lanka Women vs India Women, 1st ODI


Venue: Pallekele International Stadium, Pallekele


Date & Time: July 1 at 10 AM IST


Live Streaming and TV details: Fancode


SL-W vs IND-W Dream 11 Prediction


Wicketkeeper: Anushka Sanjeewani, Yastika Bhatia


Batters: Smriti Mandhana, Sabbhineni Meghna, Hasini Perera


All-rounders: Harmanpreet Kaur, Chamari Athapaththu, Deepti Sharma


Bowlers: Oshadi Ranasinghe, Inoka Ranaweera, Poonam Yadav


Captain: Smriti Mandhana


Vice-Captain: Chamari Athapaththu


SL-W vs IND-W Probable Playing XI


Sri Lanka Women: Chamari Athapaththu (c), Hasini Perera, Harshitha Samarawickrama, Hansima Karunaratne, Kavisha Dilhari, Nilakshi de Silva, Anushka Sanjeewani (wk), Oshadi Ranasinghe, Sugandika Kumari, Inoka Ranaweera, Achini Kulasuriya.


India Women: Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Yastika Bhatia, Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Harleen Deol,  Richa Ghosh (wk), Deepti Sharma, Pooja Vastrakar, Poonam Yadav, Renuka Singh, Rajeshwari Gayakwad