India captain Harmanpreet Kaur has set her sights on winning India’s first ICC trophy, saying that the Indian team is developing daily and feel positive ahead of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup starting Friday.
“Our team is growing day-by-day, everyone is looking so positive,” Harmanpreet said as all the 10 skippers gathered for the captain’s media launch at the Taronga Zoo in Sydney on Monday.
The captain knows the impact a good performance at the level can have, after the women’s game in India was revolutionised after their runner-up finish at the ODI World Cup in 2017.
India came tantalisingly close to winning the title three years back, losing to hosts England by nine runs in the final. Harmanpreet said India are looking to make the most of the experience of the last three years.
“It’s going to be very big if we win, I was very surprised at all the reaction from 2017. My parents didn’t tell me, they didn’t want us to feel the pressure. If we win, it’s going to be very big for us. We will try to give our best,” she added.
The T20 World Cup will open with the big-ticket clash between India and defending champions and hosts Australia in Adelaide on February 21.
Australia captain Meg Lanning knows the expectation from her team but said the focus is on enjoying their cricket playing at home.
“We’re looking forward to getting started, it’s great that we get to reach out to all our fans across the country and they’ll get the chance to see what will be an amazing tournament,” she said.
“We want to enjoy the experience of playing in front of friends and family. It’s a once-in-a-career opportunity to play in a home World Cup, there is pressure and expectation in that but every team wants to win, as do we,” she added.
With PTI Inputs
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!