We just want to go out there and enjoy our cricket: Harmanpreet Kaur ahead of T20 World Cup
New Delhi, Jan 30, 2023, IANS
Ahead of the upcoming Women's T20 World Cup starting from February 10 in South Africa, India captain Harmanpreet Kaur stated her team just wants to go out on the field and enjoy their cricket while adding that playing the ongoing tri-series in East London is giving them time to adjust their game as per the conditions.
"I think, for the past few years we have been travelling, so there won't be much difference to us. But recently, we had a camp in Bangalore where the ball was good, we trained specially in a few areas we wanted to work. Before that we have tri-series, in the tri-series we will have enough time to get settled in those conditions."
"Now we aren't thinking of too many things, how it's going to work or not going to work. We only think about whether we can do it or not and which areas we feel that we can improve on even 1% every day. So, I think other than just thinking about whether it's going to work or not going to work, we just want to go there and enjoy our cricket," she said on the 'Believe in Blue' show on Star Sports.
This will be the third time Harmanpreet will be leading India in the T20 World Cup after the 2018 and 2020 editions in which the side finished as semi-finalists and runners-up respectively.
Middle-order batter Jemimah Rodrigues also revealed why she and her team-mates look up massively to Harmanpreet, who overcame a lean patch ahead of the ODI World Cup 2022 and hasn't looked back since then.
"I think it started with a knock from Harmanpreet because before that, Harry di was going through a bad patch and I can't imagine the kind of emotions or what she was feeling at that time. Because there was a lot of pressure, lot of criticism, I think even maybe the selectors and all were also kind of asking why 'she's not performing' and all that."
"So, as a player, all of us know it's not the easiest place to be when you're down and out. But from there to come out of that and to come out with a bang and the way she did, when the team required it the most, I think that stood out for me for Harry di."
"You know more than the knock, the way she got back up and showed who she is, I think that's one thing that was very inspiring for me. And even till now you know we can just take so much motivation from that because we know it's not the end and there's always a better comeback."
India will open their Group B campaign in the Women's T20 World Cup against arch-rivals Pakistan on February 12 at Newlands Cricket Ground in Cape Town. Apart from Pakistan, they will also face 2009 champions England, and 2016 winners West Indies, and Ireland in the group stage of the competition.