Harmanpreet Kaur optimistic of Indian women’s improved showing in the upcoming T20I tri-series

Harmanpreet urges her troops to focus on the ICC Women’s World Twenty20 from now on.

Indian women’s team had defeated the Proteas women 3-1 in the five-match T20I series in February | Twitter

Indian women’s team might have suffered a humiliating 3-nil ODI series defeat against the Southern Stars recently, but they aren’t lacking the intensity for the Twenty20 tri-series against England and Australia, slated to start on Thursday (March 22).

Ahead of the tournament opener against Australia women, India’s T20I skipper Harmanpreet Kaur has said that they are up for the challenge and will look to prepare themselves for this year’s ICC Women’s World Twenty20.

"No doubt they (England and Australia players) have lot of experience, because they have played T20 format. We know we are not as powerful in our strength as compared to the foreign players. We are working on it daily," Harmanpreet quoted as saying by PTI.

"Right now, for us as a team it is a learning process and preparing for the World Cup and day by day we are taking the challenges. We know both the teams (Australia and England) are good in T20 and we will like to give them a fight," she further added.

Talking about India’s unexpected hammering at hands of Australia during the recently concluded ODI series, Harmanpreet said it was fielding that let them down.

"In the T20 format, there are lot of areas where we need to improve and a big thing where we are lacking is our fielding, because if you see the ODI series, (because of) fielding we have given a lot of runs," Kaur opined.

"In the T20 format, it is a short format, we will give our 100 per cent and girls are looking confident and we will do better," he explained.

In February, the Indian women’s team had accomplished a ‘historic double’ as they outclassed the Proteas women in their own den in the ODI and T20I series. While Harmanpreet’s side had thrashed South Africa 3-1 in the five-match T20I series, Mithali Raj’s side had won the ODI series 2-1.

"When we played T20 in South Africa, everybody enjoyed it because we were playing the format after 14-16 months. And this is the second series and everyone is positive. I know that we did not do well in ODIs, but despite that everyone's approach is good and we will do better in this tournament," Harmanpreet concluded.

India Women Squad for T20I tri-series:

Harmanpreet Kaur(c), Smriti Mandhana, Mithali Raj, Veda Krishnamurthy, Jemimah Rodrigues, Anuja Patil, Deepti Sharma, Taniya Bhatia, Poonam Yadav, Jhulan Goswami, Shikha Pandey, Pooja Vastrakar, Rumeli Dhar, Mona Meshram, Rajeshwari Gayakwad

 
 

By Salman Anjum - 21 Mar, 2018

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