Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur said on Monday that the team wants to win the ODI Women’s World Cup next month. She feels the series against Australia will give them an idea of where they stand before the tournament at home. India has never won a World Cup, though they came close in 2017.
We want to break that barrier. You always want to do something special for your country at the World Cups, Kaur said at the trophy unveiling ceremony.
Before playing Sri Lanka on September 30, India will play a three-match ODI series against Australia from September 14. Kaur said playing the defending champions will help them prepare and boost their confidence.
Playing Australia is always tough and we will see where we stand. This series will give us confidence. We have worked hard in our training camps and it’s showing, Kaur said.
Kaur referenced her 171-run knock against Australia in the 2017 semi-final, saying it was important for her and women’s cricket.
“That was special. A lot changed after that. When we came back to India, many people were cheering for us, even though we had lost. It gives me goosebumps, she added.
Earlier Kaur also spoke about how the Indian players now have clarity in their roles for the event.
It’s very exciting to be captain. Women’s cricket wasn’t that famous the last time we played here but now we have a lot of fans.
If I talk about the past 2-3 years… right now everything is settled and everyone knows their roles. There is a lot of clarity compared to before. That’s important for the team and the player.
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Also Harmanpreet mentioned that India has multiple options to choose their players from.
“Now it’s a good problem that everyone is doing well and we can choose the best team. We didn’t have so many options before. Pratika and Shafali are performing well.
“Harleen has also shown that she can be good for the team and bat responsibly when she gets a chance.” Harmanpreet praised Radha Yadav saying she worked hard when she was away from the team.
She is such a team player that I don’t want to lose, the captain said, “She worked hard during the break and improved herself. She can also be helpful in ODI cricket.
Kaur said the team’s increased workload has helped. It’s showing.
