‘A good problem to have’: Captain Vishal Uppal lauds depth in India’s Billie Jean King Cup squad
New Delhi, April 6 (IANS/WISHAVWARTA) The Indian team will start its campaign in the Billie Jean King Cup Asia/Oceania Group I tournament against Thailand at the Delhi Lawn Tennis Association (DLTA) Stadium on Tuesday, and captain Vishal Uppal expressed confidence in his team’s preparations and readiness to perform in front of the home crowd.
“We are used to much hotter conditions in April in Delhi. But the weather is something we can’t control. We can control our practice sessions, and we’ve had some good practice sessions. And I feel the team is ready to really give it their best and perform at their optimum level,” Uppal told the media on Monday ahead of the tournament.
The Indian team includes Vaishnavi Adkar, Sahaja Yamalappalli, Ankita Raina, Rutuja Bhosale, and Zeel Desai, who joined last-minute due to injuries to Shrivalli Bhamidipaty and Vaidehee Chaudhari. Although Uppal didn’t specify his singles lineup for the first match, he noted that the availability of multiple options reflects the growing strength of Indian women’s tennis.
“That’s for me to know and for you to find out on match day. If I have a problem picking up players for a tie, then that’s a good problem to have. That just tells me there’s depth. So, I’m happy having that problem than having a problem where I don’t have players. I think it’s a good problem for me to have, and that also shows the depth of women’s tennis now. There are players, for example, Zeal was just playing a tournament last week, and we asked her to come here, and she came here to be with the team,” Uppal responded when asked about who would play the singles rubbers.
The 21-year-old Vaishnavi Adkar, who reached India No. 1 in the rankings on Monday and is preparing for her debut with the national team, called the experience a significant milestone in her career.
“First of all, it’s an honour to be on this team representing the country. And it makes it even more special because all of us are on the same team. We rarely get to play on the same team, and all of us are on the same side of the net. So it’s really a privilege to be on the same team as all of these girls. And we’re just looking forward to all the matches.”
Veteran Ankita Raina, who has played for India for more than ten years, shared the captain’s confidence, emphasising the team’s readiness and confidence. “We know the players. We’ve played against them,” Raina said.
“And we know their strengths and weaknesses. So we are prepared. We’ll see who we are playing each day and obviously how the ties are going. We’ll have an idea about how they are feeling in these conditions, and we’re going to take it match by match, day by day. And like everyone said, we have done it before. We’ve done it outside of India. And we have achieved the same performance goal in India. So I think we are here and everyone believes in it,” she added.
On Sunday evening, the Delhi Lawn Tennis Association (DLTA) hosted a lively welcome dinner in the capital for the participating teams. The event combined culture with sport, as Indian team members arrived wearing elegant sarees, giving the occasion a distinctly Indian flair. Players, captains, and officials from India, Indonesia, the Republic of Korea, Mongolia, New Zealand, and Thailand attended the event, which offered a relaxed atmosphere before a week of fierce competition. Anil Jain, President of the AITA, and Kartar Singh Tanwar, Member of the Legislative Assembly, also attended.
Uppal concluded the press conference by expressing hope that strong home support would be crucial for the Indian team’s success, as he said, “I hope Delhi NCR comes out in large numbers and supports the women’s team and really becomes the X factor for us. We’re really looking forward to putting our best foot forward. DLTA has always been a happy hunting ground for us. So, let’s hope we can do that again and come Saturday, we have a bigger smile on our face.”
–
