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171 against Australia is the standard I have set for myself: Harmanpreet

Team MVR

Senior India player Harmanpreet Kaur, who has battled a prolonged rough patch, feels her 171 against Australia in the 2017 World Cup overshadowed her many “crucial” knocks of 30 and 40, which followed that “benchmark-setting” innings.

Two days before the ODI World Cup begins in New Zealand, the vice-captain added that critics often forget her low-scoring but important knocks because of one standout performance.

“I know people talk more about my 171-knock and that is a standard I have set for myself, maybe that’s why my small knocks of 30-40 runs, which are crucial to the team, are not given importance,” Kaur said during a virtual press conference on Wednesday.

“I don’t want to judge myself through numbers – what matters to me is that when the team needs me, I can stand up for them be it by scoring 100 runs or 10 runs.”

The 32-year-old had been struggling with the willow but roared back to form in time for the World Cup, beginning on Friday.

Kaur scored a total of 33 runs in the first three matches against New Zealand before being dropped from the side for the fourth ODI. However, in the final game, the right-hander smashed 63, following it up with a 104 in the warm-up match against South Africa.

“Yes definitely (feeling confident about batting), there were a lot of ups and down in my performance but the last hundred performance has given me a lot of confidence.

“The innings against New Zealand was very crucial for me. I got the rhythm I needed now it’s very important for me to continue this rhythm and momentum.

“I have a lot of expectation from myself because I know my importance in the team. One wants to do well every time but things are not always in your favour.

“When things are not going your way a lot of people say a lot of things but the good thing in that is the people around me gave me a lot of confidence during the crucial time.

“It is painful when as a cricketer you are not getting runs. You are trying to give your 200 per cent but are not able to deliver at that level you expect of yourself,” she added.