Cricketer Anjum Chopra on impact of Covid-19

Proud recipient of the Arjuna Award and the Padma Shri, former Indian cricketer Anjum Chopra, believes that the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic is far greater than what meets the eye; and even for cricket, the rebuilding is going to be gradual.

"As a nation, and as the world rather, I think the impact is massive and it's going to be far greater than probably what we imagine or what we want to believe.

I think we all want to believe that the day the lockdown finishes in our country and subsequently in other nations we are back to normalcy.

But it's going to be far from over and far from getting to normalcy. Cricket, will also take the kind of time as others," said the recipient of India's sports and civilian honour.

"But again, there's another opportunity; once this finishes, I think then it would be much easier to assess. From damage mode, we'd come to damage control mode and then rebuilding and revival," Chopra told.

Sheltering at her home in the national capital, Chopra reflects that the popularity of women's cricket in India has only increased over the years. Female cricket players are also making more monetarily when compared to the decades gone by.

Notably, the sports veteran took to cricket at the young age of nine, and made her ODI debut in 1995.

Finally, how is the sportsperson spending her time in lockdown?

"Doing my regular exercises, and something new as well. I've shifted over to more yoga and less running, but mixing them up.

I'm also contributing in the daily chores since we have limited staff. Getting everything done, getting groceries takes half the day and the other half I have my own office work and pending jobs that couldn't happen since I was travelling for work.

I'm catching up on all that," the player-turned commentator concluded.