As the Indian women’s cricket team prepares to kick off their T20 World Cup campaign against New Zealand on Friday, October 4, captain Harmanpreet Kaur stated that her team is working hard to perform well in the tournament. She also expressed her satisfaction, saying, “I’m happy with where the team is.”
The Women in Blue are placed in Group A of the Women’s T20 World Cup, alongside Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. In the previous edition of the tournament, they reached the semi-finals.
As per the International Cricket Council (ICC), Harmanpreet Kaur stated, “Every day, I’m learning and gaining experience from each game. The people around me are supporting me, and they’re working hard to elevate our team to the level we aspire to reach.”
Harmanpreet Kaur expressed her satisfaction with the team’s progress, saying she is “happy with where the team is” and “how our team is working hard to achieve small things.”
Meanwhile, New Zealand captain Sophie Devine highlighted the emergence of young fast bowlers in her team, stating, “Their development over the last 12 to 18 months has been massive, and I’m excited to see the kind of bowlers they can become.”
The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup is currently taking place in the United Arab Emirates from October 3 to 20.
Ranked No. 3 in the world, India will face off against No. 4-ranked New Zealand in a crucial match that could significantly impact both teams’ chances of reaching the knockout stages.
India showed strong form during the warm-up matches, securing impressive victories over the West Indies and South Africa. In contrast, New Zealand had mixed results, winning against South Africa but losing to England.
Both teams feature a powerful top order, with India’s Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma going up against New Zealand’s Suzie Bates and Amelia Kerr.
India’s batting line-up boasts significant depth, and both teams have solid bowling options, with spin expected to play a key role in determining the outcome of the match.
Squads:
India:
Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Deepti Sharma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh, Yastika Bhatia (subject to fitness), Pooja Vastrakar, Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Singh Thakur, Dayalan Hemalatha, Asha Sobhana, Radha Yadav, Shreyanka Patil (subject to fitness), Sajana Sajeevan.
Travelling reserves: Uma Chetry (wk), Tanuja Kanwer, Saima Thakor.
Non-travelling reserves: Raghvi Bist, Priya Mishra.
New Zealand:
Sophie Devine (c), Suzie Bates, Eden Carson, Izzy Gaze, Maddy Green, Brooke Halliday, Fran Jonas, Leigh Kasperek, Melie Kerr, Jess Kerr, Rosemary Mair, Molly Penfold, Georgia Plimmer, Hannah Rowe, Lea Tahuhu.
