As the Indian women’s cricket team, led by Harmanpreet Kaur, set off on their journey to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), excitement was noticeable. The departure marked the beginning of their campaign for the much-anticipated T20 World Cup 2024. Fans can see the pictures of the team below.
Upon their arrival in Dubai on Wednesday, September 25, the Women in Blue were greeted with a warm, star-studded welcome. Among those waiting to receive them was none other than actor Rana Daggubati, the star of several blockbuster movies, who added a special touch to their grand arrival.
🇮🇳 India squad on their way to Dubai ✈️
Send in your best wishes for the team. 🏆#CricketTwitter #T20WorldCup 📸 BCCI pic.twitter.com/TIeKDq6UTa
— Female Cricket (@imfemalecricket) September 25, 2024
India’s sights are firmly set on breaking their trophy drought this year, especially after the heart-wrenching defeat to Australia in the 2022 T20 World Cup final. The journey so far has been one of highs and lows for the Indian side. Since the inception of the Women’s T20 World Cup in 2009, India has reached the final only once, in 2020, where they suffered a defeat by their rivals, Australia.
All fun and laughter as the 🇮🇳 squad heads to Dubai with a World Cup goal in mind. #CricketTwitter #T20WorldCup2024 📸 BCCI pic.twitter.com/av7VGpMjM5
— Female Cricket (@imfemalecricket) September 25, 2024
Their road to the 2024 World Cup has seen mixed fortunes. Back in May, India whitewashed Bangladesh in a five-match T20I series, but their home series against South Africa ended in a draw. However, in the Asia Cup 2024, India lost the final to Sri Lanka, who remained unbeaten throughout the tournament. It’s been over two months since their last competitive match, which was that very Asia Cup final, yet the team remains undeterred.
And…we are off ✈️
The #T20WorldCup journey begins 👌#TeamIndia | @ImHarmanpreet pic.twitter.com/cg8iNhzdJm
— BCCI Women (@BCCIWomen) September 25, 2024
At a pre-departure press conference, skipper Harmanpreet Kaur and Head Coach Amol Mujumdar spoke with optimism. Both expressed their belief in the squad’s ability to compete with and even defeat the top teams. They stressed that when India performs at its peak, but skipper Harmanpreet Kaur & Head Coach Amol Mujumdar expressed confidence in their team’s ability to compete with and overcome these dominant sides emphasizing that when India performs at their peak, they are capable of winning on any given day.
The ninth edition of the Women’s T20 World Cup will begin on October 3, with the final scheduled for October 20, with India being part of Group A, alongside defending champions Australia, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan. They will play two warm-up matches against West Indies and South Africa before facing New Zealand in their World Cup opener on October 4 in Dubai.
As India gears up for the World Cup challenge, all eyes will be on whether they can finally clinch their first-ever T20 World Cup title and bring the long-awaited trophy home. With a mix of experienced players and rising stars, the Harmanpreet Kaur-led Indian side has a real chance to make history this year.
India’s Squad for the 2024 World Cup:
Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Smriti Mandhana (VC), Shafali Verma, Deepti Sharma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh (WK), Yastika Bhatia (WK), Pooja Vastrakar, Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Singh Thakur, Dayalan Hemalatha, Asha Sobhana, Radha Yadav, Shreyanka Patil, Sajana Sajeevan
Traveling reserves: Uma Chetry (WK), Tanuja Kanwer, Saima Thakor
Non-Travelling Reserves: Raghvi Bist, Priya Mishra
