Harmanpreet Kaur Encourages India Women's Team

India women's captain, Harmanpreet Kaur, is urging her team to take inspiration from the India men's squad that clinched the T20 World Cup in June as they prepare for the Women's T20 World Cup in the UAE this October. While the men’s team ended a 17-year wait for the title and lifted an ICC trophy after 11 years, the women’s team is still in pursuit of their first T20 World Cup. They came close in 2020, finishing as runners-up in Australia.

Speaking at an event in Delhi on the same day India’s T20 World Cup squad was announced, Harmanpreet highlighted the men’s team’s journey as a source of motivation. She pinpointed the hard work that went into winning tough matches and noted the importance of maintaining strong body language during high-pressure games. Harmanpreet expressed that the women’s team is now on a similar path, gearing up for their own World Cup challenge. The team is putting in significant effort with the hope of bringing joy to their country and fans.

India's women have had near misses in major tournaments before, including the narrow nine-run loss in the 2017 ODI World Cup final at Lord’s, and another nine-run defeat to Australia in the 2020 T20 World Cup final. They also lost by nine runs to Australia in the Commonwealth Games final in Birmingham two years later. In the previous year’s T20 World Cup, they were beaten by Australia in the semi-final by just five runs. Recently, they suffered a surprising defeat to lower-ranked Sri Lanka in the T20 Asia Cup, despite being the favourites. 

For the upcoming T20 World Cup in the UAE, India finds themselves in Group A alongside Australia, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, and Pakistan. Their first three matches will take place in Dubai, with their final group match against Australia in Sharjah. When asked if India might feel pressure against Australia and the new Asia Cup champions Sri Lanka, Harmanpreet reiterated that the World Cup brings a unique set of challenges, where no team should be underestimated or overestimated. 

She added that while bilateral series have their own pressures, World Cup tournaments come with the additional weight of fan expectations. The team has been working hard to meet these expectations, learning from past mistakes, and entering the competition with a positive mindset.

The T20 World Cup will commence on October 3 in Sharjah, with two matches on the opening day. India’s campaign begins on October 4 against New Zealand, followed by games against Pakistan on October 6, Sri Lanka on October 9, and Australia on October 13. The top two teams from each group will advance to the semi-finals on October 17 and 18, with the final set for October 20 in Dubai.