India's hopes rest on skipper Harmanpreet to rediscover her batting form

Chandigarh: July 20, 2017 will forever be etched in Indian women's cricket history. It was on this day in Derby, England that Harmanpreet Kaur delivered a breathtaking performance, leading India to a remarkable victory over Australia in the ODI World Cup semi-final.

The cricket world applauded as the batter from Punjab’s Moga town rocked the Aussies with her stellar 115-ball 171 not out, the explosive knock changing the perception about women’s cricket and taking India into their first final of an ICC tournament.

Though India lost the final to hosts England, a fresh chapter had begun for Indian women’s cricket after Kaur, braving a finger injury, smacked 20 fours and seven sixes as her team went on to beat the mighty Aussies by 36 runs.

Then the vice-captain, the player who made her India debut at 19 will lead India into the T20 World Cup starting in the UAE on Thursday hoping that the strong side can go all the way after losing two finals.

They start their campaign against the White Ferns in Dubai today before matches against Pakistan, Sri Lanka and reigning champions Australia.

New Zealand have the edge in the head-to-head record between the sides but have won just two of their last 15 T20I matches. But form aside, they are usually known to be tough opponents. A good start will help India no doubt but Harmanpreet doesn’t want her side to dwell on that.

“We know how happy we were when they won the game and how excited the whole country was when they brought the cup back home,” said Kaur. “We just want to enjoy ourselves and play with no pressure because that’s not going to help you at all.

“That excitement means a lot for us and my message is very simple and very clear: just go there and enjoy yourself because that is something which is going to help you a lot when you’re playing. The expectation is straightforward: to bring glory to the country and our supporters who back us to the hilt, no matter which part of the world we play in.

“The team has a clear vision, and each individual has been given full freedom to prepare in the way which will help the team succeed.”

The 35-year-old will join a select band of players to feature in each of the nine T20 World Cup editions, the first from India. The others in the club are Suzie Bates (New Zealand), Sophie Devine (England), Marizanne Kapp (South Africa), Ellyse Perry (Australia) and Chamari Athapaththu (Sri Lanka).

Kaur still brings the same aggression to batting, and can hit the ball out the park. However, she has not been very consistent in recent seasons in the Indian middle-order. Teams have also looked to exploit her weakness against spin. She, too, will hope her preparation has gone well.

The India captain has managed just two fifties since the last T20 World Cup in February, 2023 where they lost to Australia in the semis.

Since then, in 17 T20I innings (22 games), Kaur has aggregated 368 runs (22 matches) at a strike rate of 116. She has also pushed herself down the order in some recent matches. After scoring 1 and 11 against West Indies and South Africa respectively, in the warm-up games, the skipper will be anxious to quickly find her best. India also lost to hosts Sri Lanka in the T20 Asia Cup final in July under her captaincy.

On the other hand, Kaur has conquered other T20 games, and global cricket leagues, be it Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL), Women’s Premier League (WPL) and the Hundred.

India though have not faced many middle-order issues thanks to the emergence of Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh and Deepti Sharma. Opener Smriti Mandhana has also been consistent, scoring runs in the powerplay in tandem with Shafali Verma.

Before leaving for the World Cup, Kaur spoke about her form. “I know what the pressure is like and how I am going to handle it. It is about playing with full freedom and just not thinking about the result. If I go there and play freely and enjoy my cricket, I know I can change a lot of things. I still feel like a 19-year-old,” she had said.

Kaur was also at the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) stadium in Mohali for some skill sessions before the camp began for the World Cup, where she was seen chatting with Yuvraj Singh. Fans will hope the discussions with the double World Cup-winner pay off.

The closest India came to winning a women’s T20 World Cup was in 2020, when it lost to hosts Australia in the final. Harmanpreet wasn’t at her best then but she sure will hope to change that this time around.