Harmanpreet Kaur has always been plagued by the sensation of missing out on opportunities, but the Indian skipper believes her team has done everything it can to advance to the Women’s T20 World Cup, which kicks off in the United Arab Emirates on October 3.
Since the tournament’s start in 2009, India have managed to reach the final only once — in 2020 when they fell to foe Australia. In 2017, India participated in the WODI World Cup final. Both teams have included Harmanpreet, who captained them in the 2020 T20 World Cup.
“The team we have selected for the future is the greatest one. The athletes have a lengthy history of playing together. We lost in the semifinals the last time we were this close (2023).
The T20 World Cup begins on October 3. “We have ticked all the boxes in terms of preparation compared to the small things were not there maybe in earlier editions,” Harmanpreet stated at the pre-departure news conference.
India hasn’t played since their unexpected second-place finish in the Asia Cup against Sri Lanka at the end of July.
The players focused a lot of their time during their lengthy training camp at the NCA on improving their fielding and conditioning, two areas where the squad has struggled in the past.
Head coach Muzumdar was also present during the meeting, and chief selector Neetu David made an unusual showing.
“We played excellent cricket during the Asia Cup, but one strange day things did not go as planned,” stated Harmanpreet, who has participated in every T20 World Cup held to date.
Despite having participated in numerous international competitions throughout the course of her nearly fifteen-year career, she still experiences the thrill of winning her first World Championship.
The 35-year-old captain remarked, “I know I have played in so many World Cups, but I still feel the same excitement I did when I was 19.”
The biggest threats will come from England and Australia, who have defeated India in ICC tournaments despite adversity.
“Australia is well aware of our ability to defeat any team. They are aware that we are the only team capable of defeating them,” Harmanpreet remarked.
During the training camp in Bengaluru, head coach Muzumdar provided additional details on the team’s areas of emphasis.
“After the loss against Sri Lanka, we did identify a few things, and we addressed them in the next camp. We started with a fielding and conditioning camp. Then we had a skills-only camp for ten days. We also brought in Mughda Bawre, a sports psychologist. She has performed admirably with the team.
“We focused on enhancing athletic ability, all-round fielding abilities, there were yoga sessions and psychological sessions were added.”
Regarding insufficient playing time, he stated: “We are ready for anything. We played five games over the course of ten days at the skills camp with nets. When it comes to readiness, we have checked every box “explained Muzumdar.
Additionally, he showed unwavering confidence in the batting unit, which lacks the potency of teams like Australia and England.
“The best are our top six. They have distinct manners and styles. We know who number three is, but we won’t make that known until after eleven is declared. Number three sets actually game the up in T20s, in any shape.
“In terms of conditions, it will be comparable to India. The weather will be similar to India, but there may be an extra bounce at the beginning of the season, particularly in Dubai.”
Because of the violence in Bangladesh, the event was moved from that country to the United Arab Emirates.
David, the chief selector, continued, “We have made the best decision for the squad. The bench strength appears to be good as well. On that front, India A trips, or shadow tours, are also beneficial,” the speaker stated.
For the record, India A woman gave a terrible performance in Australia.
