Indian skipper Harmanpreet Kaur shares her strategy for the Women’s World Cup, aiming to channel the spirit of her 2017 debut and iconic 171* vs Australia. Confident, she believes India can clinch their first senior ICC title in 2025.
Ahead of India’s ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup campaign start, Indian skipper Harmanpreet Kaur said that her plan is “the same as her first World Cup” and opened up on the impact that her 171* against Australia in the 2017 WC semifinals had on Indian women’s cricket.
Harmanpreet Kaur, who will be leading in her first Women’s Cricket World Cup, is keen on breaking India’s deadlock by winning their first senior ICC silverware. India ended up runners-up twice, losing to Australia by 98 runs in 2005 and by nine runs against England in 2017 at Lord’s.
“The plan is the same as my first ODI World Cup. I want to go there and enjoy my cricket, but playing in front of the home crowd is always special,” Kaur said at the ’50 Days To Go’ event in Mumbai as quoted by ICC.
“This time, I hope we will give our 100 per cent and try to break that final barrier that we have all been waiting for,” she added.
‘The confidence is very high’
In 26 ICC Women’s WC matches, Harmanpreet has scored 876 runs in 22 innings at an average of 51.52, with three centuries and four fifties.
Kaur believes India is heading into the tournament high on confidence following their recent successes, especially the series win in England.
“The confidence is very high. The kind of cricket we have played over the last couple of years gives us a lot of confidence,” she said.
India will be hoping to go one step further at this year’s tournament than they did in 2017, when they made it to their second Women’s Cricket World Cup Final, missing out narrowly to England in a thrilling finish at Lord’s.
Casting their minds back to the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup, she conceded that while it was disheartening to miss out on a maiden title, the tournament left a major footprint on Indian women’s cricket.
Harmanpreet recalls her 171-run knock
Among the notable moments from the tournament was Harmanpreet Kaur’s whirlwind knock of 171* against Australia in the semi-final.
“That knock was something really special to me. Special to the entire women’s cricket. After that knock, a lot of things changed for me and women’s cricket,” Kaur added.
“That time I did not realise (its impact). But when we returned back to India, even though we lost the final, the number of people that were waiting and cheering for us it was really special,” she concluded.
The tournament will take place from September 30 to November 2, with India playing the tournament opener against Sri Lanka in Bengaluru.