India spinner Shree Charani insisted that staying calm and trusting the process has been the key to her impressive Women's T20 World Cup campaign, saying
she refuses to dwell on dropped catches or personal milestones as India prepare for a virtual quarter-final against Australia.
India kept their semi-final hopes alive with a crucial five-wicket win over Bangladesh in Manchester, with Charani playing a pivotal role by claiming three wickets. Despite seeing chances go down off her bowling, the left-arm spinner said she never allowed frustration to creep into her game.
"I didn't get frustrated by the catches dropped off my bowling. Dropped catches are part of the game. It happens to every bowler at some point," Charani said on JioHotstar's Adidas Match Centre Live.
"You can't control what happens after the ball leaves your hand. All you can do is keep bowling in the right areas and trust your teammates. So, it's okay. I don't let it affect my focus. I believe that if you keep doing the right things, the rewards will come. "
Shree Charani on sticking to the basics
Charani credited her success against Bangladesh to a simple game plan rather than trying to produce something extraordinary.
"I just kept things simple; I didn't try to do anything extra and focused on what I had practiced - my line, length and variations," she said.
"I wanted to bowl in the right channels and not give away easy runs. The pitch had a little bit of help, so I just stuck to my strengths and let the ball do the rest. Picking up wickets feels good, but more importantly, I was happy that I could contribute to the team's win. "
Eyes on Australia, not the occasion
India now face defending champions Australia in a must-win encounter that will decide their semi-final fate, but Charani believes there is no reason to alter the team's approach.
"Yes, the Australia game is going to be an important one. We want to win and finish on top of the group stage. But we are not going to treat it any differently," she said.
"We have played against them before, and we know what to expect. It's about executing our skills on the day. One game at a time. That has been our approach throughout this tournament, and we will continue with the same mindset. "
Shree Charani rankings take a back seat
Currently ranked the No. 1 T20I bowler in the world, Charani said individual accolades mean little while India remain in the hunt for the World Cup title.
"To be honest, right now my focus is completely on the World Cup. We are in the middle of the tournament, and that is all that matters to me," she said.
"I'm not thinking about being the number one ranked T20I bowler or any individual rankings. Those things are nice to have, but they are not my priority at the moment. I just want to focus on my bowling, stick to my plans, perform well for the team and win the World Cup. "
Veda questions Jemimah's batting position
Meanwhile, former India batter Veda Krishnamurthy praised Jemimah Rodrigues for anchoring India's chase against Bangladesh but questioned the team's decision to push her down to No. 5.
"Jemimah played a very important knock against Bangladesh. She took her time to settle in, survived a couple of close run-out chances, and once she got her eye in, she started finding the boundaries," Krishnamurthy said.
"But I don't understand why she is being made to bat at number five. It doesn't make sense to me. Your top four are your best batters in T20s. They need to face enough deliveries and spend time in the middle. "
Krishnamurthy added that constant changes in the batting order can affect a player's confidence, especially during a major tournament.
"In a World Cup, role clarity is crucial. You can't keep changing positions and expect consistency every time. If you want players to be consistent, give them a fixed position and then demand consistency. "
