‘We Will Get the Gold’: Rajeshwari Gayakwad Optimistic on Harmanpreet Kaur-led India’s Chances at Asian Games

After suffering some painful defeats in the finals of prominent tournaments, including the Birmingham Commonwealth Games last year, Rajeshwari Gayakwad feels that the Indian women’s team will bring home the gold medal at the Asian Games in Hangzhou.

The Harmanpreet Kaur-led unit had to make do with a silver medal after they finished second best against Australia at the CWG 2022, a similar story had unfolded in 2017 when the Women in Blue lost the ODI World Cup final.

In the past five years, Indian women have choked in three big finals but Gayakwad remains confident that they will win gold in Hangzhou having qualified into the quarterfinals of the Asian Games directly courtesy of their ICC T20I rankings.

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“Definitely, we will get the gold medal in the Asian Games,” Gayakwad told PTI.

“We have played against all major opponents in the past, but not to dwell on that much, we have the trust in our team that we are capable of winning and clinching the gold medal,” she added.

The spin wizard was unavailable for the recently concluded Bangladesh Tour where India were held to a 1-1 draw in the ODI series after Harmanpreet Kaur and Co. won the T20I series 2-1. Gayakwad revealed that she was rested, and wasn’t dropped.

“I was in rehabilitation and on rest during the Bangladesh tour; it was not the case of me being dropped,” she stated.

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The 32-year-old has amassed two Tests, 64 ODIs and 55 T20Is caps for India in her career so far and she is currently gearing up for the Asian Games by taking part in an off-season camp of the Women’s Premier League franchise UP Warriorz in Bengaluru.

“The focus has been on the overall game from fielding to batting and bowling. The batters, though, tried to work on their stroke-making in particular,” said Gayakwad informing about the camp.

Having picked up 99 wickets in ODIs, she is India’s fourth-highest wicket-taker, when quizzed about her ambition, Gayakwad stated that she hasn’t thought about the milestone much and she simply takes it one game at a time.

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“Frankly speaking, I do not think about it. The idea is to take it one match at a time. I have not thought about getting here or there,” added Gayakwad.