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Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 – Harmanpreet Kaur – ‘This is our best T20 World Cup team ever’

Harmanpreet Kaur is “very confident” about the Indian squad for the Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 because of the experience they bring. About 12 of the 15 members of the Indian team have experience playing this tournament. Only Shreyanka Patil, Asha Sobhana and S Sajana are making their World Cup debut, having played in an impressive manner in the Women’s Premier League.

“If I talk about this team, we have a few players who have been playing for a long time and they know their job very well,” said Harmanpreet in a press conference before leaving for Mumbai. “I can say that this is the best team we are going to the T20 World Cup with.

“Get out [Vastrakar] well done and Renuka [Singh] you support him very well. He [Renuka] He is a person who always gives us success. Arundhati [Reddy] he is someone who can always come in and bowl a few overs for the team and bat in the deep. I can’t compare our bowling team with other teams because each team has its good and bad things, but I trust my team. I know what they do and what they can do.”

India played T20Is against Australia, England, South Africa and Bangladesh, apart from the Asia Cup, before the T20 World Cup. While they lost the series against England and Australia, each 2-1, they won 5-0 in Bangladesh and tied the series against South Africa 1-1 after one game. However, the surprise result came in the Asia Cup, where Sri Lanka beat them in the final to win their first title.

“During the Asia Cup, we played really good cricket, if I’m talking about the whole tournament,” said Harmanpreet. “It was just one unusual game that day when things didn’t go the way we wanted. We always discussed how we want to correct our shortcomings in the camps and where we can improve if these situations arise in the future. .”

The Asia Cup, in July, was India’s last exit before the World Cup. Since then, they have had several camps while several players have played in the Hundred and Women’s Caribbean Premier League. Coach Amol Muzumdar said that the camps are designed to focus on certain things and that the lack of playing time should not hinder India in the World Cup.

“We had a training camp held at NCA and a fitness camp,” Muzumdar said. “That is done directly in those two areas and skills [aspect] they were not touched. All 15 days are dedicated to fitness and play.

“Later, we had a 10-day skills camp, where not only was it played but the players played about five games in ten days. So if you’re asking for game time, we ticked that box. We played a lot. There were different opponents, there were different skills chosen for those specific games.”

India finished second in the T20 World Cup in 2020 and lost in the semi-finals in 2018 and 2023. It also lost the gold medal to Australia at the Commonwealth Games in 2022.

In an effort to cope with stress better, the players had sessions with sports psychologist Mughdha Bavare. In the past, Harmanpreet talked about how Bavare helped him overcome mental fatigue, and the sessions at the camp last month helped the players, he said.

“If you speak [to a psychologist] In my opinion, you know what you are talking about and the areas you want to focus on,” he said. “But when it comes to the team, it is important that everyone opens up so that as a team we can work together to help the player. as needed. We had a few sessions where we talked about how we felt and how we wanted to do about it. With Mughdha’s help, there were many times after that we felt well and after she sang us down, we felt better. He is working hard for us, and so far, he is really helping us. “

‘We will reveal our number 3 closer to the opening game’ – Muzumdar

Muzumdar has also been monitored in area number 3, which has been the focus of recent times. Since Jemimah Rodrigues’ shift to No.5 in April, India have tried Yastika Bhatia, D Hemalatha, S Sajana and Uma Chetry in that position. Hemalatha enjoyed the longest streak, batting at No. 3 in seven of India’s 12 matches since April. For Bhatia’s return, however, things are still unclear.

“Since I took over, we have had a tough series against good teams – England, Australia, South Africa, Bangladesh, and then the Asia Cup. So, I think the preparation has been good,” said Muzumdar. “As for the top six, I think they are the best in the country.

“I know that in T20, number 3 is the one who sets up the game [our No. 3] but we will reveal that as our opening game approaches.”

The World Cup was moved to the UAE after anti-government protests in Bangladesh. Muzumdar said that although the change in the environment put a spanner in the works, India was well equipped for the challenges.

“We specifically went to Bangladesh in May and played five T20Is to get used to the conditions. I think the conditions [in UAE] it could be like what we have here in India,” said Muzumdar, who was the batting coach of Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2020, who was in the UAE at the same time. there will be a slight jump in the Dubai areas in particular.

“Humidity will play a role there. It will be very hot there, hot and humid. But I think we will have to go there and check the situation, check the world conditions first. We have three games in Dubai and then one in Sharjah. We will have to really go there, feel the pitch, and then decide which bowlers and the combination we should play.”

For Harmanpreet, it will be his ninth T20 World Cup, having played in every format since its launch in 2009.

“I have played so many World Cups and that experience and atmosphere is completely different from any bilateral series or any other tournament,” he said. “I’m going with the excitement I had when I was 19. I want to go there and have fun. I know now that I have a lot of experience too.

“I know what the pressure is like and how I will deal with it. [It is about playing] with complete freedom and don’t just think about what the result is. But if I go there and play freely and enjoy my cricket, I know I can change a lot of things.”

US Sudarshanan is the associate editor at ESPNcricinfo. @Sudarshanan7


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