The Indian Women’s Cricket Team, led by Harmanpreet Kaur, is determined to bounce back after a humbling defeat against Australia in the three-match ODI series. The series exposed serious flaws in the team as a young Indian side struggled against a dominant Australian outfit. However, skipper Harmanpreet remains optimistic about the team’s future, emphasising the importance of learning from setbacks and focusing on the positives as they prepare for upcoming challenges.
Addressing the press ahead of the series against West Indies, Harmanpreet tackled questions about team dynamics, the absence of Shafali Verma, and the squad’s preparation to turn things around.
When asked about Shafali Verma being dropped for two consecutive series, Harmanpreet responded firmly:
“Ask the right person. I can only talk about the team that is here and how we plan to win. I can’t answer about Shafali—better to ask the right person.”
Reflecting on the loss against Australia, the skipper reinforced the importance of focusing on the positives:
“After the World Cup, we played New Zealand and did really well in home conditions. The Australia tour was a result we were not expecting. It’s a lot of learning for us. Our bowling attack was quite young, and for them, it was great exposure—playing against a top team and understanding what they can improve on. Apart from the World Cup and the Australia series, this year we’ve played good cricket. As a team, it’s important to stick together and focus on the positives.”
Harmanpreet also shed light on how she motivates the team during tough times:
“It’s tough when you’re going through a patch like this, but you can only talk about the good things we’ve done in the past and keep reinforcing them. On the flight back from Australia, we had a good talk about what we can improve on for this tour.”
She further stressed unity as the key to India’s turnaround:
“It’s difficult to reflect on setbacks, but we have to stress the positives. The young girls have done really well in domestic cricket. It’s about talking to everyone, having meaningful discussions, and keeping the team together. We’re doing whatever we can to turn things around.”
Looking ahead, Harmanpreet expressed confidence in the squad’s new faces, Nandini Kashyap and Raghvi Bisht:
“Both have done really well in the Challenger Trophy, and that’s why they’ve earned this opportunity. For them, it’s a great platform, and I hope they’ll perform well for the team. It’s good to see players excelling in the domestic circuit and taking responsibility at the international level.”
With renewed focus, India will aim to leave their recent struggles behind and find their rhythm against West Indies.