Mumbai: “Last win was special, but we are not done yet,” Harmanpreet Kaur said in a BCCI social media post that announced India’s squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup.
Who could possibly forget the last win? The 2025 ODI World Cup triumph broke the glass ceiling and now they want more. It is only natural.
When Kaur posed in front of a glittering trophy cabinet at BCCI’s Mumbai headquarters on Friday at the squad announcement, a poster of her champion side from last year’s ODI World Cup win formed the backdrop.
With another trophy hunt in store, Kaur added in the video, “Different format, same intent. Let’s go, India!”
With the punch lines recorded, a more pragmatic Kaur returned to answering real-time questions from the media.
“I have seen massive improvement with every passing T20 World Cup,” said the Indian captain, who has featured in each of the previous nine. “Now, it’s impossible to pick four semifinalists ahead of the tournament. We are just thinking of how to keep everyone in a good space of mind and to extract the best out of them on a match-day.”
India has been paired in Group 1 alongside six-time winners Australia and South Africa, against whom they recently lost a five-match series 1-4. To finish in the top two for the semi-finals in the 12-team competition, India has plenty to improve.
Their biggest worry is the bowling department where injuries have already forced India to ring in Plan B. After all-rounder Amanjot Kaur was ruled out with a bad back, Kashvee Gautam replaced her. She was injured too. Uncapped pacer Nandani Sharma came in. Also making a comeback is Radha Yadav with her left-arm spin, as she offers some lower-order batting support.
“Amanjot was our key player. It was difficult to find someone to take her place,” said Kaur. “But we are trying with Bharti (Fulmali). She has tried to prove herself in whatever opportunities she has got.”
“We were not able to take wickets in South Africa,” said Chief selector Amita Sharma. “We have tried to strengthen our bowling. We have had discussions with the captain and coach on how to try and take early wickets.”
Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Varma will still run the engine room up front with Jemimah Rodrigues at No. 3 and Kaur following with her experience. Other squads like defending champions New Zealand are on the verge of team transition. The upcoming sojourn in England will tell Indian cricket where they stand in the popular T20 domain.
Following the ODI Cup win, the Indian team has played in three T20I series: they swept past Sri Lanka 5-0 at home, beat Australia (2-1) before the reversal against South Africa.
They may draw some confidence from their last T20I series in England, last year, which they won 3-2. Young pacer MP pacer Kranti Gaud first made an impression there.
Kaur and her team will be locked in a week-long camp, next week in Bengaluru before heading to England where they will play a three-match T20I series that will lead them into the World Cup, which they kick off with a showdown against Pakistan on June 14.
“In the last T20 World Cup unfortunately we couldn’t play well as a team. Keeping it in mind, we have been preparing hard since. Yes, there will be pressure and a bit of desperation but what matters is how we prepare ourselves mentally for the big tournament,” said Kaur. “Whatever has happened is history. Now we just have to do the right things and keep doing them again and again.”
If they can recreate the kind of magic that they managed in the ODI win at home in front of huge crowds, a date with destiny awaits them at Lord’s on July 5. That would be a perfect segue to the marquee Test against England at the Home of cricket on July 10.
Squads:
For England T20Is and T20 World Cup
Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Smriti Mandhana (vc), Shafali, Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Bharti Fulmali, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh (wk), Yastika Bhatia (wk) Sree Charani, Nandini Sharma, Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Thakur, Kranti Gaud, Shreyanka Patil, Radha Yadav.
For one-off Test against England
Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Smriti Mandhana (vc), Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Pratika Rawal, Richa Ghosh (wk), Sree Charani, Yastika Bhatia (wk), Nandini Sharma, Harleen Deol, Renuka Singh, Kranti Gaud, Sayali Satghare, Sneh Rana.