Leading your country is always very special – Harmanpreet Kaur

The Indian women's team has delivered memorable performances one after the other in recent global tournaments, only to fall short in the knockout stages. However, ahead of the latest iteration of the Women’s ODI World Cup, Indian skipper Harmanpreet Kaur had a stern warning for her counterparts and a promise to the world on behalf of her team.

Talking at the captains’ Meet in Bengaluru, Kaur opened up on the potential that India houses and how that should be the focal point of discussions. She also promised that the Women in Blue are willing to whatever it takes to cross the final hurdle this time.

Kaur said, “No doubt we have been through these situations many times. We have been playing good cricket, and it's only about going with good confidence and doing the things the way our team is expecting from us. At the same time, we have been only talking about enjoying this moment rather than thinking [about] what happened in the past. We have learned a lot from our mistakes, and hopefully, this time, we will be on the other side."

On the responsibility to lead the nation, Kaur added, “Leading your country is always very special for any player, but leading your country in [an] ODI World Cup is even more special. On top of that, it is a home World Cup, so it's even more special. When I started playing, I never even thought I would get the opportunity to lead my country… It was only in a dream. Everything altogether is exciting.”

She further added, “I just want to go there and enjoy, and play my best cricket. That's what I've been telling myself and my team. The ODI World Cup is happening [in India] after 12 years, and I think it is going to be very amazing for all of us. It's all about not taking too much pressure."

Kaur concluded with a note about the conditions, stating, “The wickets are going to be flat. We will get a few practice sessions there to get used to the conditions and the pitches. It's really about being in a good space. Even though this World Cup is in India, we are not very familiar with the stadiums we are going to play at. But we have enough data to see how the conditions and the pitch are."