It is good to take a break at times than pushing too hard: Harmanpreet Kaur

Recently, Virat Kohli raised a few important questions after coming back from the break and his performances have once again started speaking for themselves. The captain of the Indian Women's cricket team, Harmanpreet Kaur also joined the bandwagon as she lent her voice to the idea of having a sports psychologist traveling with the team. She reiterated Kohli's words on why it is important to take a step back, rethink and then step back in instead of pushing oneself as the damage is way more and one fails to recognize it.

Talking about how one's performances cannot be uniform throughout, she said, " We as a team discuss a lot on these things. Your performances go up and down, and it is better to take a break than pushing too hard in such times. As a team, we want to help that player, and we are very open about players taking breaks when there is mental fatigue and things do not go as you want."

Not only was it in the wake of Kohli's rising speech, but Kaur's words came just one day after Natalie Sciver pulled out of the series in order to focus on her mental health and the Indian captain believes that having a professional by your side can be immensely conducive. Cricket is getting a lot more regular these days and almost all the players are a part of some contest or the other every alternate. Not only does it impact one's mental health but it also takes a serious toll on someone's physical health. Talking about the evolving cricket schedule, the captain of the Indian women's team said, "Last year, I went through these things playing back-to-back cricket. This year, we had the Commonwealth Games, and the Hundred was there [one after the other], but I wanted to take a break. Playing back to back does take a mental toll, and it is good to take a break at times [rather] than pushing too hard."

She also spoke about how the impact Mugdha Bavare, the sports psychologist for the Indian women's team, has had on the team. "When we were on the New Zealand tour, [Bavare] was our go-to person and helped us a lot. I hope in the future also we can get her with us because right now we are paying too much attention to our physical fitness and skills. But mental skill is something we need to take seriously," revealed Harman.

"We represent our country, and there is a lot of pressure. Sometimes you only put so much pressure on yourself because you know your game and your ability, and what you can do for your country. So sometimes expecting too much can also pull you back. In such times, if you can go to someone and express yourself and get some ideas about how to go about your own things, it will help you ease out," concluded Kaur.