Women's T20 World Cup: India skipper Harmanpreet Kaur happy to 'tick all boxes' on preparation front

NEW DELHI: Harmanpreet Kaur has often faced the sting of near misses in major tournaments. But the Indian captain feels confident that her team has fully prepared for the upcoming Women's T20 World Cup, starting in the UAE on October 3.
Since the tournament's inception in 2009, India has made it to the final only once, in 2020, when they were defeated by Australia. The team also reached the WODI World Cup final in 2017.Harmanpreet was part of both teams and led the squad in the 2020 T20 World Cup.
"This is the best team we are going forward with. The players have been playing together for a long time. For us we came so close last time and lost in semis (2023)," PTI quoted Harmanpreet as saying at the pre-departure press conference in Mumbai.
"We have ticked all the boxes in terms of preparation compared to the small things were not there maybe in earlier editions."
India last played in July when they unexpectedly finished runners-up to Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup. Since then, the team had an intensive camp at the National Cricket Academy (NCA), focusing on fitness and fielding, areas previously identified as weak points.
The press conference also saw the attendance of head coach Amol Muzumdar and chief selector Neetu David, who made a rare appearance.
"During the Asia Cup, we played good cricket, one odd day things did not go to plan," said Harmanpreet, who has participated in every T20 World Cup to date. Despite a career spanning nearly 15 years, she remains enthusiastic about this tournament.
"I know I have played so many World Cups but I have the same excitement as I had when I was 19," she added.
The main competition for India is expected to come from England and Australia, two teams with a history of overcoming India in ICC events.
"We can beat any team and Australia know that very well. They know if there is one team that can beat them it is us," said Harmanpreet.
Head coach Amol Muzumdar elaborated on the focus areas during their training camp in Bengaluru.
"We did identify a few things (after the loss to Sri Lanka) and we went about in the subsequent camp. We first had a fitness and fielding camp. Then we had a 10-day skills-only camp. We brought in a sports psychologist also (Mughda Bawre). She has been fantastic with the group."
"We focused on enhancing athletic ability, all-round fielding abilities, there were yoga sessions and psychological sessions were added," he continued.
Regarding the lack of recent game time, Muzumdar remains positive. "We are prepared for everything. In the skills camp, we had nets and five games in 10 days' time. We have ticked all the boxes as far as preparation is concerned," he said.
He also expressed confidence in the batting lineup, which, while not as aggressive as those of Australia or England, has its strengths.
"Our top six are the best. Their styles and mannerisms are different. Number three we have identified but we will reveal that when eleven is announced. In T20s, number three sets the game up, in any form actually."
"As far as the conditions are concerned, it will be similar to India. Start of the season they could be extra bounce especially in Dubai but climate will be just like India."
The event was relocated to the UAE from Bangladesh due to unrest in the South Asian nation.
Chief selector Neetu David added, "We have done what is the best for the team. The bench strength is also looking good. Shadow tours (India A tours) are also helping on that front."
However, it's worth noting that India A women had a poor performance in Australia.