Snehasis Mukherjee in Dubai
Indian Women’s cricket team is gearing up to kick off their ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 campaign on October 4th, facing New Zealand at the Dubai International Stadium. Ahead of the tournament opener, India secured two consecutive victories in their warm-up matches against West Indies and South Africa.
Captains’ Day, a perfect curtain-raiser for the event, saw all ten team captains attending a media interaction. During the session, India’s captain, Harmanpreet Kaur, was asked about the team’s preparation and the pressure of heading into their first game. She acknowledged, “Pressure is always there, especially when things are not going according to plan. But with the way the team has prepared and focused on the finer details, I am happy.”
Harmanpreet emphasised the importance of learning from past mistakes and focusing on improvement in the upcoming tournament. “Every day is a learning experience. You always pick up something new, and as a team, that is what we are focusing on. We will do our best not to repeat the same mistakes this time around.”
The Indian captain also praised the current coaching staff for their role in keeping the team motivated. She added that, as a senior player, her aim is to give younger players the freedom to express themselves, which helps them settle in quickly.
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‘Captains’ Day’ – A perfect curtain raiser for the ICC Womens T20 World Cup 2024
From Harmanpreet Kaur to Alyssa Healy, captains of all 10 teams opened up about their preparation ahead of the tournament @snehasis_95 and @Fancricket12 with the details from Dubai.@T20WorldCup… pic.twitter.com/IgN69Lvvrx
— RevSportz Global (@RevSportzGlobal) October 2, 2024
When asked about the impact of playing in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) and other franchise leagues around the world, Harmanpreet said, “It has only added more experience and confidence to the players. The competition within the squad has increased, and that has made the team more competitive.”
With cricket set to feature in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, Harmanpreet offered a thoughtful perspective: “The Olympics is a massive platform, and it’s great that cricket will be part of it. But for me, more Test cricket and tournaments like the World Test Championship (WTC) and the Champions Trophy will be more beneficial for women’s cricket.”
Harmanpreet appeared calm, composed, and relaxed during the interaction. However, while batting at number three in both warm-up matches, she didn’t make a significant impact with the bat. Fans will be watching closely as she takes the field against New Zealand, both as a captain and as a player. As Harmanpreet mentioned, past mistakes should not be repeated, and supporters hope to see a different Harmanpreet Kaur, the batter, stepping up for Team India.
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