• Source:JND
Add as a preferred

The ICC Women's T20 World Cup is set to begin on October 3rd, with Team India starting their campaign on October 4th against New Zealand. India will follow up with a much-anticipated clash against arch-rivals Pakistan on October 6th, before taking on Sri Lanka on October 9th and facing reigning champions Australia on October 13th.

In the build-up to the tournament, Indian women's team captain Harmanpreet Kaur shared her thoughts in an exclusive interview with Star Sports.

Harmanpreet, who has been a trailblazer for Indian women’s cricket, also reflected on her own journey in the sport, highlighting the importance of resilience and leadership.

Also Read: Bazball begins for England under McCullum

Speaking exclusively on Star Sports, Indian skipper Harmanpreet Kaur spoke about how diversity in the Indian cricket team’s dressing room fosters a positive atmosphere. She mentioned, "All the players in our team come from different states. It feels good when you see so many different characters in the team. People from various states share the dressing room, and you get to learn about their cultures. I think you can only experience that in sports, not in any other career. It’s a beautiful feeling. All the girls in the team are really nice and humble. It feels great to share the dressing room with them and play cricket together."

Harmanpreet also discussed India's mental toughness preparations ahead of the upcoming Women's World Cup. She said, "We have been working on mental strength for a long time. The last 3-4 overs are the most crucial. T20 cricket is not a small format; at the end of the day, you are playing 40 overs. In the last 4-5 overs, the team that is mentally strong wins the match. We have been focusing on this for a while. If we can remain mentally stable in those final 5 overs, we can execute what’s best for us. We are working on those aspects, and hopefully, we will overcome this hurdle in the tournament."

Also Read: Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli lead IND's practice session

Harmanpreet Kaur also reflected on her journey and touched upon the mentality of choosing sports as a career. She said, "It has been a beautiful journey. I come from a city where there was no cricket, and playing cricket professionally was not easy for me. But my family supported me a lot, and today, when I look back, it feels good. A lot of people appreciate it. Obviously, a lot of girls are joining cricket—not just cricket, but other sports as well. At the same time, parents are taking sports seriously. When I started, no one saw sports as a career. But now, parents want their kids to play well and choose sports as a career. The way parents think has changed, and it feels good to see that. In the past, only a few parents encouraged their kids in sports, but now, regardless of what they do, parents take pride if their child excels in sports. I think that’s a big change."

Also In News