New Delhi: As India begin their campaign against Pakistan in Sunday’s T20 World Cup opener, Harmanpreet Kaur and Co are focused on setting their tone. They carry the weight of expectations as less than a year ago, they finally broke through and won the ODI World Cup, a triumph that transformed belief within the group.
“Everyone is very excited for the first game because the first game is always important and it always sets the tone for you,” captain Harmanpreet Kaur told reporters on the eve of the contest.
Earlier, head coach Amol Muzumdar was quick to remind everyone that success in one format guarantees nothing in another. That confidence may prove crucial because India entered the competition after a mixed run of results.
“It’s a completely different format,” Muzumdar said. “One thing I can assure you is that we will take a lot from that World Cup into this tournament because we know for a fact that we can cross the line.”
While recent defeats against South Africa (4-1) and England (2-1) raised questions, Harmanpreet believes those setbacks may ultimately strengthen the side.
“When things go well, sometimes you don’t know which areas you have to improve as a team,” she said. “But when you lose, you learn a lot as a team. Those losses and defeats have given us a lot of learnings, and hopefully we’ll use that experience in this tournament.”
Although not much of a rivalry on paper, India vs Pakistan remains one of cricket’s most heated rivalries regardless of format or gender because of their geopolitical relations. Harmanpreet acknowledged that reality saying, “I won’t deny that there is pressure. Ever since I started watching cricket as a supporter, I’ve felt that pressure, and now that we play, the pressure is even more.”
Handshakes are unlikely to follow even as the captain insisted that they don’t discuss the logistics of it. Yet, India’s approach is to strip away the noise. “We are here for cricket and we only talk about cricket,” Harmanpreet said.
India’s strength, as always, lies in their bowling depth. Spin remains the team’s traditional weapon, with Deepti Sharma, Shreyanka Patil, Sree Charani and Radha Yadav expected to play pivotal roles. “Spin is always our strength,” Harmanpreet said. “They are our game-changers.”
Pakistan captain Fatima Sana – in incredible form herself – is also backing her senior spinner Sadia Iqbal to play an important role in the game. “Everyone knows that she is one of our important players and the way she has performed every time.”
“She has continually been performing back‑to‑back, so it’s good for her and good for the team too. If she performs well in these games, it will help increase the morale of the team.”
The batting unit, meanwhile, has received a timely boost; Richa Ghosh’s return to form in the warm-up match could significantly alter India’s fortunes.
“We were waiting for Richa to get that confidence back,” Harmanpreet said. “One good innings always gives you a lot of confidence.” There is also a feel-good story in Yastika Bhatia’s return after injury. Having missed the ODI World Cup triumph at the last moment, the left-hander has fought her way back into the squad.
“The way she has come back, the way she has fought her way back into this team, it gives you a little insight into how this team reacts to challenges,” Muzumdar said.
Seventeen years into an international career, Harmanpreet is set to captain India in her 10th World Cup. “I never want to stop playing because this is something I love the most,” she said. “I’m really happy that this time I’m going to play in my 10th T20 World Cup.”