Harmanpreet Kaur, the captain of the Indian women’s cricket team, has expressed her desire to maintain the composure displayed by her team during their recent 5-0 series sweep against Bangladesh in Sylhet when they return for the T20 World Cup in October.
Unlike their previous encounter in Bangladesh in July 2023, which was marred by controversy, India’s recent performance was marked by several positives. “The calmness all the players showed in the series is something I would like to take to the World Cup,” Harmanpreet said after their 21-run victory in the fifth T20I.
Harmanpreet’s return to form was a significant highlight of the series. After struggling with low scores in the white-ball series against Australia, she scored 30 or more in three out of four innings against Bangladesh. Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana also contributed with multiple 30-plus scores.
D Hemalatha, who returned to the team after 15 months, showcased her power-hitting abilities at No. 3, a position previously occupied by Jemimah Rodrigues. With the ball, Radha Yadav emerged as a standout performer, claiming ten wickets in five matches and earning the Player of the Series award.
Deepti Sharma’s experience proved valuable in containing the opposition, while Shreyanka Patil and Asha Sobhana also made significant contributions. Harmanpreet attributed their success to the confidence and momentum gained during the Women’s Premier League (WPL).
“The WPL gave our players a lot of confidence,” she said. “We improved our game during that time, and those results are showing here.”
India’s next assignment will be a multi-format series against South Africa at home in June-July, followed by the Asia Cup in Sri Lanka and the T20 World Cup in October. Harmanpreet expressed her hope that India will be able to play their best cricket when they return to Sylhet for the World Cup opener against New Zealand.
“This tournament will give us a lot of confidence,” she said. “Whatever we learnt here, we can take that to the World Cup. We are really working hard on that. Hopefully, in the World Cup, we will be able to do whatever we can do. I know our team has that much potential and hopefully, we play our best cricket.”
