The Indian women’s cricket team, led by Harmanpreet Kaur, have departed for the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to compete in the upcoming ICC Women’s T20 World Cup.
Having suffered a heartbreaking defeat in the semifinal match against Australia in the last edition, the women in blue are eager to end the long wait for the elusive title this year.
In the pre-departure press conference, Harmanpreet Kaur expressed confidence in the team’s preparations for the tournament. “This is the best team we are going forward with. The players have been playing together for a long time. For us, we came so close last time and lost in the semis (2023). We have ticked all the boxes in terms of preparation compared to the small things that were maybe not there in earlier editions,” Kaur said, addressing the team’s readiness.
🗣 “I am going with the same excitement as I did when I was 19 years old”
~ Harmanpreet Kaur #CricketTwitter #T20WorldCup2024 pic.twitter.com/nZJMWf8w6y
— Female Cricket (@imfemalecricket) September 25, 2024
Despite the gap of two months since India’s last international match, she remains optimistic about their chances.
Two weeks ago, Shreyanka Patil, one of the team’s bright young talents, faced an uncertain future after twisting her ankle during a practice match in Bengaluru. While her inclusion in the squad was initially in doubt, she has since recovered and joined the team for their journey to the UAE. Along with Patil, Asha Sobhana and Sanjeevan Sajana will also be making their World Cup debuts after eye-catching performances in the Women’s Premier League.
India’s head coach, Amol Muzumdar, spoke about the team’s mental preparations in the run-up to the tournament, emphasizing that their recent camps focused on more than just physical skills. “We had a camp where we did not touch skills,” Muzumdar said. “In that, we tried to introduce the psychologist. That is an area we would like to tap into. I was pretty happy with the results, and Mugdha Bavare has been fantastic with the group.”
“It is our team’s dream to win this coveted trophy, and I feel, as a team, we have what it takes to lift the trophy.”
~ Harmanpreet Kaur (ICC’s captains’ columns) #CricketTwitter #T20WorldCup2024 pic.twitter.com/dw6EzKx5xh
— Female Cricket (@imfemalecricket) September 24, 2024
In addition to mental fortitude, India’s fitness, and fielding were top priorities during the camps held at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru. “We did a lot of fitness and fielding in the first camp; the entire 15 days were delegated to that aspect of the game,” Muzumdar explained.
Following this, a skill-specific camp allowed the players to hone their technical abilities and participate in competitive match practice. “We played almost five games in ten days,” Muzumdar added. “If you ask for game time, we have ticked that box.”
With these thorough preparations in place, India is looking to claim their first-ever T20 World Cup title, leaving behind the disappointment of previous editions.
India squad for the Women’s T20 World Cup 2024:
Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Deepti Sharma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh, Yastika Bhatia, Pooja Vastrakar, Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Singh Thakur, Dayalan Hemalatha, Asha Sobhana, Radha Yadav, Shreyanka Patil, Sajana Sajeevan
Travelling Reserves: Uma Chetry (wk), Tanuja Kanwer, Saima Thakor
Non-Travelling Reserves: Raghvi Bist, Priya Mishra
As the Indian squad heads to the UAE, fans are hopeful that the mix of experienced players and debutants will drive the team to its long-awaited T20 World Cup triumph.
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