The Indian women’s cricket team is geared up for their next challenge – the T20 World Cup that is starting in ten days in South Africa. Taking inspiration from the young girls, who recently created history by winning the maiden edition of the U-19 T20 World Cup, the senior team will like to replicate the similar feat at their level. Upbeat about the challenge ahead, captain Harmanpreet Kaur said she and her team derive motivation from the last edition’s final against Australia at the MCG in 2020. Though they lost the final, the fact that more than 80,000 people came to watch the match live is huge enough for anyone to get overwhelmed by it. Harmanpreet is no less.
Speaking to the ICC ahead of the start of yet another marquee tournament, Harman said, “Our last match of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup – the 2020 final at the MCG – was watched by 86,174 spectators! That’s inspiration enough as we prepare to begin our campaign this time.”
“That match, played on International Women’s Day three years ago, was a huge moment for women’s sport worldwide, as the iconic venue filled up for the Australia versus India match with fervour,” the star batter added.
Sounding elated while talking about that particular event, Harman said she still gets goosebumps when the thought of that final crosses her mind. Having made her T20 WC debut back in 2009, she has clearly seen the rise of women’s cricket in front of her – and this is something she takes pride in. She added saying, “I still get goosebumps remembering that match as I think of my earlier years on the circuit and realise the kind of progress women’s cricket has made. I have played in all the T20 World Cups so far – in fact I debuted in the format at the inaugural edition in 2009– and have seen the pace of the game surge like anything.”
Following a successful 2022 where the women’s team reached the finals of the Commonwealth Games, Harmanpreet feels with the bunch of match winners on the squad this time, they have the potential to end the drought and win their maiden T20 World Cup.
“We have senior players as well as young guns like Shafali Verma and Richa Ghosh, who are fresh from the Indian team’s victory at the Under-19 World Cup, play an attractive brand of cricket and now also have enough experience of top-class cricket. We have depth in batting and enough variety in bowling with Renuka Singh stepping up well in the pace department to do what is required against top teams,” Harmanpreet concluded.
Meanwhile, the Indian team is placed in Group B alongside Pakistan, West Indies, Ireland and England, and will face their arch-rivals Pakistan in their opening match on Sunday, February 12th in Newlands, Cape Town.
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