File image of Harmanpreet Kaur.© BCCI/Sportzpics
With India team gearing up for Women's T20 World Cup 2024 starting early next month, India skipper Harmanpreet Kaur spoke of the need of mental strength and how it helps a team execute its plans. Harmanpreet made her T20I debut in 2009 against England and has scored 3,426 runs in the shortest format after playing 173 matches and 153 innings. The 35-year-old will also lead Team India in the T20 World Cup, which will be held in the UAE.
Harmanpreet said that the India are working on their mental strength for a long time. She added that T20s are not a small format, and the last 3-4 overs are very crucial.
"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," Harmanpreet was quoted in a release by Star Sports.
In six Tests and nine innings, Harmanpreet has scored 200 runs at an average of 25.00 and a strike rate of over 54.20.
In 133 ODIs, she has scored 3565 runs at an average of 37.52, with six centuries and 18 fifties.
India has named their squad for the upcoming Women's T20 World Cup, starting on October 3. India will kickstart their campaign against New Zealand on October 4, with the arch-rivals Pakistan clash set for October 6. India, who reached the semi-finals in the previous edition, is placed in Group A of the competition along with Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.
In the T20 WC last year, Australia defeated South Africa at their home by 19 runs to win their sixth title. Meanwhile, India made it to the semifinals, losing to the Aussies by five runs.
Squad: Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Smriti Mandhana (vc), Shafali Verma, Deepti Sharma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh (wk), Yastika Bhatia (wk), Pooja Vastrakar, Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Singh, Dayalan Hemalatha, Asha Sobhana, Radha Yadav, Shreyanka Patil, Sajana Sajeevan
Traveling reserves: Uma Chetry (wk), Tanuja Kanwer, Saima Thakor
Non-Travelling Reserves: Raghvi Bist, Priya Mishra.
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