Better to have 2021 World Cup on time than it getting delayed: Jhulan Goswami

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With the world coming to a standstill due to the coronavirus outbreak, India international Jhulan Goswami has been playing FIFA online with her teammates as she looks to pass time under lockdown. While she would have ideally liked to prepare for next year's Women's World Cup, Jhulan says she is slowly getting used to working her way around the pandemic.

"Initially it was not so great. We didn't know what was happening and suddenly we were asked to go under lockdown. Slowly and steadily we are getting to know how to survive," Jhulan told IANS.

"Your thought process changes and you tend to find your daily routine. I have started doing my training exercises... in my house I have got a little bit of space where I do my training early in the morning. It's all about staying home right now and staying positive."

Jhulan, the leading wicket-taker in women's ODIs, was looking for a final flourish in New Zealand next year and help India end their World Cup drought. But such plans have been dented severely due to the outbreak of the virus. She believes finding the right combination before any big tournament is the key and not just India, but every team is far away from that right now.

"It's not going to be easy as from here to the next year, there aren't many months left. And we haven't even been able to go to the ground for training. We also haven't been playing competitive matches. The number of matches you play before the World Cup, it helps you in finding the right team combination," she said.

"We haven't been able to execute such plans. These are unrealistic times and you just cannot do anything about it. Whenever coronavirus ends or its effect subsides, we have to start training in a more aggressive manner.

"We will have to make up for the lost days. We will have to find the right team combination and play as many matches leading up to the tournament. It's better to have the World Cup on time than it getting delayed," she added.

When the effect of the virus finally subsides, apart from the World Cup, there is another thing that Jhulan hopes for, the women's IPL. "The BCCI is going to decide that (Women's IPL). Whenever COVID-19 ends, the board will take a call on how things are moving and how the girls are performing," Jhulan, who retired from T20Is last year, said.

"Definitely we are all looking forward to having a women's IPL. It will help Indian women's cricket. Young Indian cricketers will get a chance to play alongside top players of the world. I think the board is working on it and it will happen soon."

Jhulan recently became a part of the All India Gaming Federation advisory board alongside Justice Vikramajit Sen & Fatema Agarkar and she expressed her happiness. "It is heartening to see that millions of gamers are participating in online formats including cricket and that this ecosystem is growing rapidly. It is an honour to be on the board alongside such eminent people," Goswami said.