Dubai [UAE], August 30 (ANI): Indian head coach Amol Muzumdar said that the team will be missing their "clutch player" Jemimah Rodrigues, who has been ruled out of the Women's Asia Cup due to injury, but nonetheless expressed his team's hunger to do well ahead of the Asia Cup and the Asian Games in Japan from September onwards.
Seven-time Women's Asia Cup champions India have their sights set on the upcoming edition of the Asia Cup, and the subsequent future tournaments, with the side looking to continue their recent good form.
India begin their Asia Cup campaign with a contest against Thailand on Sunday, this will be followed by the Asian Games in Japan.
India women's team head coach, Amol, looked back at his team's recent achievements, which include a Test win at Lord's earlier in July and the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup triumph last year, before going on to state that this lot remained as hungry as ever for the upcoming tournaments in Asia.
"This group has been a special one. We have done well in the ODI setup, in the Test matches that we have played. Last five Tests, if you see, we have won four of them," Muzumdar said ahead of India's Asia Cup opener, as quoted by ICC.
"So they are hungry for success, they are hungry to win some tournaments. Every tournament is important, every tournament is crucial for this setup. They're really hungry for success. You'll be able to see that in the coming future," he added.
India are in Group A of the Asia Cup along with Thailand, Hong Kong, China and Pakistan.
The team is without their star batter Jemimah Rodrigues, who misses out on the Asia Cup squad due to a hamstring concern, and Muzumdar provided an update on the player, stating that the player was under rehab.
"I have always maintained that she's a clutch player for us. She will definitely be missed, but having said that her recovery is very important for us. Her rehab is well taken care of at the Centre of Excellence at Bengaluru.
"She will be missed, but there are some players who have come into the team and who will do well. But Jemimah will be missed," he signed off.
Rodrigues is India's fourth-highest T20I run-getter in women's cricket, with 2,824 runs in 131 matches and 118 innings at an average of 29.41 and a strike rate of 119, with 16 fifties and a best score of 76.
Squads:
India Women Squad: Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Harmanpreet Kaur(c), Bharti Fulmali, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh(w), Arundhati Reddy, Kranti Gaud, Shree Charani, Nandni Sharma, Renuka Singh Thakur, Pratika Rawal, Radha Yadav, Gunalan Kamalini, Prema Rawat
Thailand Women Squad: Aphisara Suwanchonrathi, Phannita Maya, Nannapat Koncharoenkai(w), Naruemol Chaiwai(c), Chanida Sutthiruang, Naomi Hamilton, Suleeporn Laomi, Nannaphat Chaihan, Sunida Chaturongrattana, Onnicha Kamchomphu, Thipatcha Putthawong, Koranit Suwanchonrathi, Chayanisa Phengpaen, Thanrada Seesawan, Nattakan Chantam. (ANI)
Team India will miss "clutch" Jemimah, but hungry for success: Coach Muzumdar ahead of Asia Cup opener
