During a press convention on Friday, it was exhausting to maintain rely of the variety of instances Harmanpreet Kaur talked about her need to win a World Cup. She was talking on the eve of India’s second T20I in opposition to England on the Wankhede Stadium, which they have to win to remain alive in a three-match collection, however the focus already appears to be on claiming the massive prize on the T20 World Cup in September-October subsequent yr.
India’s Harmanpreet Kaur performs a shot throughout the 1st T20I cricket match between India and England, at Wankhede Stadium, in Mumbai(PTI)
“Personal achievements are not that important for me,” Harmanpreet mentioned. “Winning a World Cup for the country is the aim. I just want us to grow together and do something great.”
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An ICC title has eluded the Indian ladies’s staff to date. India have completed runners-up within the ODI World Cup twice, in 2005 and 2017, and made the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup 5 instances, dropping within the closing in 2020. Having made her worldwide debut in 2009, the 34-year-old has confronted her fair proportion of heartbreaks at ICC occasions.
Nevertheless, this can be a essential part for Harmanpreet and Co. After the 2 remaining T20Is in opposition to England, they may host reigning champions Australia for a three-match collection within the shortest format. There is a brand new head coach in Amol Muzumdar, together with quite a lot of new gamers within the squad.
“This team that we’ve picked for the ongoing series, we want to build it for the upcoming T20 World Cup,” mentioned Harmanpreet. “I want this team to grow in a way that everyone says this is the best team in the world. For me, winning a World Cup is a dream. I’m working towards it and that’s the only reason why I requested the BCCI and all the selectors for a young team, so that we can grow them. I know these games are very important.”
India’s squad for the continuing collection in opposition to England is stacked with many contemporary faces. Saika Ishaque and Shreyanka Patil featured in a T20I for the primary time within the opener whereas Titas Sadhu, Minnu Mani, Kanika Ahuja and Amanjot Kaur have performed fewer than 10 T20Is every. Left-arm spinner Mannat Kashyap is but to make her debut.
Reflecting on her method in direction of inexperienced gamers, Harmanpreet mentioned that their mentality goes a great distance in direction of figuring out how lengthy a rope they get.
“Every time you share the field with a new player, you get a fair idea about them by noticing their body language and thought process,” mentioned the captain. “At the same time, there’s no surety for anyone in regular life and it’s the same for a sportsperson. It’s about how a player improves day by day and helps the team to win. That’s the most important. Based on that, you decide how many opportunities you want to give that player. If you see our current squad, there are several young faces who have been picked based on their performances in the WPL (Women’s Premier League) and domestic cricket. These are the players who have done the best in the T20 format.”
Harmanpreet added: “ Even the support staff is looking very balanced. Amol sir is there… he has a lot of experience, played very good cricket and done good things as a coach as well. If I talk about things apart from cricket, everything is looking quite good. As a player and as a captain, it’s very important to have that balance. You can perform better when you know everything is sorted and you just have to go out there and focus on the game. As the captain, I have immense faith in my players. I know they’re the best, that’s why they’re here. I want to give them as many opportunities as possible and hope they do well for the country.”
Source: www.hindustantimes.com
