India captain Harmanpreet Kaur highlighted the core strategy for her team ahead of the 2026 Women's Asia Cup final against Sri Lanka in Dubai on Sunday (September 13).
Recognizing that both teams have been the absolute standouts of the tournament, she urged her troops to abandon any temptation to do something extraordinary and instead focus on sticking to their strength.
"Whenever you are playing a match which is so important to win the tournament, that day it is all about just playing on your strength and backing your strength," Harmanpreet said at the pre-final press conference.
"Rather than trying too many things and thinking of doing something extraordinary, it is all about sticking to your strength, backing yourself and trusting your gut feeling."
The encounter serves as a chance for the Indian team to avenge their defeat against Sri Lanka in the previous Women’s Asia Cup final.
Kaur made it clear that on paper there is very little separating the two sides and execution on match day will decide the winner.
"Last time when we played against Sri Lanka, they came up with some really solid plans and solid performances. T20 is all about on a given day who is going to play the best cricket, they are going to win," she said.
"There is no doubt about any team being stronger or any team being lesser than anyone. It is all about playing good cricket on an important day."
Harmanpreet has been particularly pleased with the way different members of the Indian squad have stepped up at different stages of the tournament.
"Everyone in the team is very important and their contribution means a lot to us. It is good to see that whoever is getting the opportunity, they are coming up with some really solid performances," she said.
"Our batting unit came up in difficult situations and still managed to get runs on the board, while whenever we are bowling, our bowlers have come up with some really solid performances."
Acknowledging the heavy reliance on prolific openers Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma, the skipper mentioned that the challenging Dubai pitches require batters to spend time in the middle before attacking. She noted that the settled batter on any given day needs to take complete responsibility to finish the game.
"This pitch is a little tough to bat on, but at the same time we just need to back ourselves, back our strength. We know we have such a good batting lineup," she said.
"Whoever is doing well on that day should take the responsibility and finish the game for the team."
Harmanpreet also commended Sri Lanka's bowling attack, saying their ability to execute plans has made them particularly effective on the surface.
"You have to really spend some time and then you can go for your shot. Whoever is settled, that person needs to take the responsibility and play till the end," she said.
Harmanpreet Kaur also played down the importance of the toss, saying it was beyond a captain's control.
"I don't put any pressure on myself because toss is something which I feel is not in my control. We have been playing here for almost two weeks. We know the conditions, the pitch, and I think it is all about trusting your plans, trusting your gut feeling and backing them," she said.
Harmanpreet, who led India to their maiden Women’s World Cup title last year, stressed that high-pressure finals are decided by the team that makes fewer unforced errors.
"We have seen whenever we are trying to do something special or something extraordinary, we have always made so many mistakes," she said.
"Tomorrow's match is all about trusting yourself and trying to make fewer mistakes on the field. The team which makes fewer mistakes in an important game has more chances to win.
Harmanpreet also expressed her hope for strong fan support at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium for the championship match
"They have been our biggest strength whenever we are playing. They come and cheer for us. They play a big part in our lives," she said.
"When the stadium is packed, you feel more positive and you want to do more for your team. They mean a lot to us and hopefully they will come and cheer for the teams tomorrow."
(With PTI Inputs)
