India skipper Harmanpreet Kaur has stated that her team is taking inspiration from the Indian men’s team led by Rohit Sharma, who triumphed in the T20 World Cup earlier this year in June. The men’s team secured their victory in a thrilling final against South Africa, held in Barbados, thus earning the prestigious title after a long wait of 17 years since they first won in the tournament’s inaugural edition.
However, the women’s team is yet to claim a World Cup title, despite repeatedly making it to the finals in recent years. During an event held in Delhi, coinciding with the announcement of India’s 15-member squad for the upcoming Women’s T20 World Cup in the UAE, Kaur emphasized the profound impact of the men’s team’s achievement. “We have been really inspired by the men’s team, the way they won the T20 World Cup this year,” she said. “They worked really hard for this trophy and won some tough matches. We need to learn how they maintained their body language for such matches and how they approached such games.”
Kaur expressed that the women’s team is on a parallel journey, gearing up for their World Cup campaign with immense dedication. “The team is working really hard, and our attempt will be to give our country and fans another opportunity to celebrate this year,” she added.
For those unfamiliar, the Indian Women’s team has faced heartbreak in several finals, losing to England in the 2017 ODI World Cup, and suffering defeats against Australia twice – in the final of the T20 World Cup in 2020, and in the gold medal match at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham two years ago. Additionally, India lost to Australia again in the semifinal of the T20 World Cup last year.
Highlighting the pressure associated with World Cup tournaments, Kaur advised that no team should be taken lightly and stressed the importance of living up to expectations. “The World Cup is a kind of tournament for which all teams prepare differently,” Kaur elucidated. “So, no team can be taken lightly, and similarly, no team should be overestimated either.
. Bilateral series have a different kind of pressure, and for World Cups, there is pressure along with the hopes and expectations of fans.”
To meet these expectations, Kaur mentions that the team has been working diligently in preparation camps, focusing on rectifying past mistakes and fostering a positive mindset. “We are working extremely hard to live up to those expectations. We have been holding camps where all players are working hard. We have also worked on the mistakes we made last time. Now we’re ready with a positive mindset,” she asserted.
As they prepare for the upcoming World Cup, India finds itself in Group A alongside formidable teams such as Australia, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, and Pakistan. The women in blue will kick off their campaign on October 4 against New Zealand.
The announced Indian squad for the Women’s T20 World Cup includes notable players such as Harmanpreet Kaur as captain, Smriti Mandhana as vice-captain, Shafali Verma, Deepti Sharma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh (wicketkeeper), Yastika Bhatia* (wicketkeeper), Pooja Vastrakar, Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Singh Thakur, Dayalan Hemalatha, Asha Sobhana, Radha Yadav, Shreyanka Patil*, and Sajana Sajeevan. The squad will be backed by traveling reserves Uma Chetry (wicketkeeper), Tanuja Kanwer, and Saima Thakor, with non-traveling reserves Raghvi Bist and Priya Mishra.
In the build-up to the critical matches, Kaur and her squad are not just aiming for victory but also hoping to transform years of near-misses into an unforgettable triumph. Their journey draws on the resilience and strategies demonstrated by their male counterparts, infusing the women’s team with a renewed sense of purpose and inspiration.
The anticipation surrounding the Women’s T20 World Cup is palpable, with fans and critics alike eager to see how the Indian women’s team will perform under the intense spotlight, and whether they can end their wait for a World Cup title. As the tournament approaches, hopes are high, and the stage is set for what promises to be an electrifying series of matches.
