Indian women’s cricket team skipper Harmanpreet Kaur expressed confidence in her team's ability to clinch their maiden global championship in the forthcoming ICC Women's T20 World Cup.
In 2020, India made it to the final but lost to Meg Lanning’s Australia by 85 runs at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).
Last time around in 2023, the Women in Blue made their way through to the semis, but lost to the Aussies by five runs in Cape Town.
"Whenever we play on this kind of stage (World Cup), we always want to do well. We have always done well in the past as well, and hopefully, this time we will break that final barrier and go all the way," Harmanpreet told the PTI videos.
Kaur believes that the playing conditions in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) might prove favorable for her side.
Notably, the showpiece tournament was forced to relocate to Middle East due to the ongoing political turmoil in Bangladesh. It will take place across the two venues in the UAE – Dubai and Sharjah – from 3 to 20 October.
"We have not played much cricket in the UAE. But the conditions in the UAE are going to be similar to Indian conditions.
"We will see how the conditions play out (there) and try to adjust ourselves to the conditions as soon as possible," the Indian captain stated.
Harmanpreet expressed her desire for the team to showcase a confident and assertive approach throughout the T20 World Cup, irrespective of the situations.
"As a team, we learn from our defeats and break those barriers that are pushing us back. Hopefully this time we can express ourselves in a more positive way in the World Cup," she said.
Harmanpreet backed the Indian bowling attack to rise to the occasion, despite their struggles in the Asia Cup final against Sri Lanka earlier this month.
"The bowlers are working really hard as a team and, hopefully, in this World Cup we tick all the boxes."
Harmanpreet highlighted the importance of staying focused on the present moment to secure a coveted title like the World Cup.
"It is always important for us to play good cricket, keeping ourselves in the present. Whatever the situation is in front of us…we go there and evaluate (it) as soon as possible," she concluded.
India are set to begin their T20 World Cup campaign against arch-rivals Pakistan in Dubai on October 6.
(With PTI Inputs)
