For the first time since the Olympics, Rani Rampal might make her first appearance for the Indian women's hockey team as they face off against the Netherlands in a double header in the FIH Pro League at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar on Friday and Saturday.
Naturally, the team is quite excited about her return, but captain Savita threw caution to the winds saying it's likely she won't be hurried on keeping in mind the major tournaments that are scheduled to take place in the coming months.
"Being a senior player myself, I know how happy it feels when another senior returns. We were just waiting when Rani would complete her rehab and return to the team. It's a good thing that we didn't have to play any major tournaments without her," said the skipper.
"But we are in no mood to put too much pressure on her as there are more important tournaments coming up like the World Cup and the Asian Games. Whether Rani will play in these two matches will be decided after a discussion between her and the coach," Savita added.
While Rani's comeback will be closely monitored, the Indian women's team will look to continue their good show in the event. India have done well so far and are placed fourth on the table with 12 points. In their last Pro League fixture against Germany, both the matches went into shoot-out. While they lost the first one, they won the next with Savita making some great saves.
The Netherlands, who beat India 5-1 during the Tokyo Olympics, are coming into the double header having earned huge wins against the USA in their last fixture. The world No.1 team won the first match 3-0 and earned a 10-0 victory in the second. And they are currently on top of the table with 17 points from six matches.
However, the Dutch squad for the India matches doesn't have any of the players from their successful Olympic campaign. Despite that, Savita doesn't want to take them lightly and wants to keep the focus on their performance.
"They have come with a young team, but that doesn't mean they will take things casually. Their young players have been given a chance, so I think they will certainly give their best. Our approach will remain the same as always and we will focus on ourselves," Savita said.
