India women’s team skipper Harmanpreet Kaur expressed hope on Saturday (December 14) that her side can regain confidence during the upcoming three-match T20I series against the West Indies at home. This follows a disappointing T20 World Cup 2024 campaign in the UAE and a 0-3 ODI series loss in Australia.
India endured a first-round exit from the Women’s T20 World Cup after finishing third in Group A. Despite wins against Pakistan and Sri Lanka, the Harmanpreet-led side suffered defeats to New Zealand and Australia. They managed to bounce back with a 2-1 ODI series win against New Zealand at home but were again outplayed during the ODI series in Australia. “After the World Cup, we performed well against New Zealand at home, but the Australia tour didn’t go as planned. However, there were a lot of learnings for us,” Kaur said during a press conference in Mumbai ahead of the first T20I against the West Indies. “In India, we’ve generally played good cricket. This year, apart from the World Cup and the Australia series, we’ve won a lot of matches at home. It’s important for us to focus on the positives and stick together as a team,” she added. Kaur also defended the team’s young bowling attack, which struggled during the Australia tour, emphasizing the learning curve for the players. “Our bowling unit was quite young, and playing against a strong team like Australia gave them valuable lessons on how to improve and handle tough situations,” she said. When asked about Shafali Verma’s exclusion from the T20I squad despite being the second-highest run-scorer this year, Kaur refrained from commenting, saying, “It’s better to ask the right person. I can only speak about the team that is here and our focus on winning this series.” Kaur also acknowledged the challenges posed by a tight schedule, noting the quick turnaround after the final ODI in Perth on December 11. “It’s tough, but as professionals, we have to adapt. After the match, we traveled for over four hours and came straight back to India. Yesterday was a rest day, and now we are focused on the game tomorrow,” she explained. During the journey back from Australia, the team took time to reflect and strategize for the series. “We had meaningful discussions on the flight about how to start this series and approach it. Staying together as a team and focusing on what’s within our control is key to turning things around,” Kaur concluded.