T20 World Cup 2023: “I had self-belief Richa and Deepti would do it”- Harmanpreet says she’s yet to get over semifinal defeat

India lost the first semi-final to Australia by 5 runs.

India captain Harmanpreet Kaur was inconsolable after her team lost to Australia in the first semifinal of the T20 World Cup 2023 on Thursday, February 23. It was a narrow loss by 5 runs and it not only broke the heart of the players but of the entire nation.

A crestfallen India captain Harmanpreet Kaur doesn't know when will she overcome the near-yet-so-far feeling of the morale-shattering defeat which led to her wearing sunglasses to post-match presentation and wearing a desolate look in media interaction as well.

"It is very difficult to control myself. I don't know. Right now, I am sitting in a hangover. I don't understand how it is going on. But after this, when we go to the room, we will know how many more days it will take. But I think we played good cricket. That's all I can say,” she said at the media interaction.

It has been a case of near misses for this Indian team, having narrowly lost the ODI World Cup final to England in 2017 and the CWG final to Australia in Birmingham in 2022.

Beth Mooney’s 52, Meg Lanning’s 49* and Ashleigh Gardner’s 18-ball 31 took Australia to 172/4 in 20 overs. In response, India lost Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, and Yastika Bhatia early.

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But then Harmanpreet and Jemimah Rodrigues (43 in 24 balls) set up the chase nicely, adding 69 from 41 balls. But then Rodrigues got out, while Harmanpreet Kaur was run out for 52 runs which she termed the turning point of the match, which India lost by 5 runs.

Harmanpreet felt the only way she could have been dismissed as a freak run out and as luck would have it, that is exactly what happened.

"Definitely, it was a disappointment because the way I was batting, maybe that was the only chance to know how I can get out. If my bat didn't get stuck and I would've easily finished that run. If I had stayed till the last moment, we could have definitely finished the match one over earlier as we had the momentum,” she added.

The skipper didn't take names but it was evident she was referring to Deepti when she spoke about batting with responsibility and a positive approach once she got out. Deepti managed 20* in 17 balls but failed to hit big shots when they were needed.

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"The moment I got out, the moment the momentum shifted from India to Australia, I personally felt it was a turning point. It is disappointing because we shouldn't have lost like this. Because in the end, after coming so close, we could have batted with more responsibility and with a positive approach," the skipper said.

"Even after that (her run-out), you know, Deepti was there, Richa was there. I had a self-belief that they can do it too because Richa has also batted well in all the matches till now. After I got out, we played 7-8 dot balls in the middle and the match turned there," she lamented.

Australia will play the winner of the second semi-final between South Africa and England in the final.

(PTI inputs)