“Pressure is better than no expectations at all”: Anjum Chopra

Anjum Chopra Images: X

Trisha Ghosal

One month to go for the all-important ODI World Cup. India will kick off their campaign against Sri Lanka in Guwahati on September 30. The Indian squad has been announced, and the team is currently in Visakhapatnam preparing for the home World Cup. RevSportz caught up with former India player Anjum Chopra to get her thoughts on the squad, whether home support will mean added pressure, if India are the favourites, her semi-final picks, and much more. Here are the excerpts from the interview.

Boria Majumdar (BM): One month to go for the World Cup, how hopeful are you?

Anjum Chopra (AC): Yes, there’s always hope, Boria, because you don’t start a tournament without the hope of lifting that World Cup trophy on the final day. Fortunately, this team also has players who’ve been on that big stage before, who know the joy of reaching a World Cup final and the heartbreak of missing out on the trophy.

They’ve experienced it all. The good or perhaps the challenging part is that they know exactly what the biggest hurdle in front of them is. Once you’re aware of those facts, preparation becomes more focused. I feel this team is moving forward step by step, aware of the challenges ahead, and I hope they’re able to overcome those roadblocks.

Trisha Ghosal (TG): It’s a home World Cup. So does that add to the pressure, or does it actually lessen it because you know you have the home crowd backing you up?

AC: It doesn’t matter at all. As a player, once I cross those ropes, whether I’m playing in India, England, or anywhere else, it doesn’t matter. At the end of the day, I know as a cricketer that it’s a World Cup. I’m in an Indian jersey because I’m supposed to do well, and I’ve been picked because I’m better than the one not picked. My job is to score runs or take wickets.

When I come back out of those ropes, the reception and the adulation do make a difference. Fortunately, in India now, there is strong following for women’s cricket, which is a good thing. I’d rather have that following than walk out after scoring 100 to empty stands.

BM: Conditions, Anjum — you’ve played at DY Patil and in stadiums where fans are loud. Will that make a difference? And secondly, as you said earlier, these players have come close before but haven’t gone all the way. What has stopped us from crossing the line?

AC: The stadium atmosphere is very individual. As I said, I’d rather walk out to a full stadium applauding my effort or encouraging me if I haven’t done well than empty stands. If you want the game to grow, you must accept that fans’ expectations come with it. In India, we don’t settle for second place, we only want to be champions, and that’s how we are trained.

As for conditions, it really doesn’t matter, we have to adapt, and that’s how we are trained. India has more than 30 venues capable of hosting international cricket. It comes down to how you adapt on that particular day against the opposition.

Why we’ve fallen short, I’d put it down to skill level. At those crucial times, other teams have shown better skills. Overcoming that requires not just a collective effort but strong individual preparation.

TG: What are your thoughts on the final squad? Do you think it’s a complete one?

AC: These are the best options available. I don’t think anybody is really missed. Even if you expand the squad to 16 or 17, those players wouldn’t break into the first XI but this is the squad we’ve got and it’s well balanced. I’m glad Renuka Singh Thakur has made progress such that, even with very little competitive cricket behind her, she’s trusted in the World Cup squad. At least there’s an extra pace option India can rely on.

TG: You mentioned playing XII, so who are your 12?

AC: I haven’t counted exactly, but it’s not rocket science. I was surprised India played four spinners and just one seamer in England, but it worked for them. Personally, I think there should be at least two fast bowlers who can share 20 overs, plus one fast-bowling all-rounder. Amanjot Kaur fits that role perfectly.

India may also opt for a spin-bowling all-rounder like Sneh Rana, alongside Radha Yadav or Sree Charani, depending on conditions, opposition, and form. Beyond that, there shouldn’t be much debate.

BM: In terms of talent, India has serious players, Smriti Mandhana, for example. No questioning ability, but in big games, do you expect more?

AC: 100 percent. I’ve never believed in senior or junior. Once you’re an India player, you’re an India player, and your job is to make sure the team wins.

But yes, experience brings greater responsibility. Bilateral series are important, but World Cups demand more maturity, better planning, and stronger execution. It’s about keeping the pie balanced so nothing leaks. We must ensure stability to produce the perfect result.

TG: How do you see Kranti Gaud? She bowled well in England and in the WPL. Since Renuka has little match practice, do you see Renuka walking into the XI or Kranti continuing?

AC: Kranti Gaud has shown great promise, especially when we had few options in the pace-bowling department. Her confidence will help. But if Renuka Singh is fit, she walks straight into the XI, no questions asked. Even if she’s a bit scratchy, you have to play her. India needs her for all seven league games.

BM: Two macro questions. One, had this been a men’s home World Cup, coverage would flood every platform. Should the media step up? And two, is it pressure, or inability to handle it, that has stopped India in crunch games like 2017, 2020, and the Commonwealth Games?

AC: As a cricketer, my job is to score runs, take wickets, and help my team win. What happens outside the boundary is beyond my control. Yes, I notice the difference in coverage, but that’s how the sport has evolved.

From where our seniors started in 1971 to today, this is a far better space. People now know names like Kranti Gaud, Smriti Mandhana, and Harmanpreet Kaur. The very day India wins a World Cup, things will improve even more.

As for pressure, I’d always prefer it. Expectations mean people care. Who wants a four-line column in a newspaper? I’d rather have a full-page feature. Pressure is better than no expectations at all.

TG: How do you see Sri Lanka shaping up, especially for the India–Sri Lanka match?

AC: They have Chamari Athapaththu, a match-winner who can take the game away from any opposition. But encouragingly, others in their team are stepping up. In 50-over cricket, they are still developing, but on any given day, they can threaten, that’s the nature of World Cup cricket.

BM: Your assessment of Amol Muzumdar as coach since he took over?

AC: I don’t judge coaches directly, but by results and how they’re achieved. Amol Muzumdar is aggressive and tactical in his approach. Whether his methods have fully translated with this team will be clear with time, but right now, the squad is in a happy space and that’s a big positive.

TG: Final question, your top four teams for the semifinals?

AC: Obviously, I would want India to qualify. Beyond that, it doesn’t matter who the other three are. The job is to first reach the semifinal, then the final, and then win it.

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