Kaur eyeing full-circle moment at the T20 World Cup
The Indian skipper recollected a vivid memory from her international career ahead of the T20I series against England.
The reigning ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup winners, India, will be making a push for their maiden ICC Women’s T20 World Cup title as the marquee event kicks off in England and Wales on June 12.
Ahead of the tournament, India will be locking horns with the hosts in a three-match T20I series to familiarize themselves with the conditions on offer.
For skipper Harmanpreet Kaur however, England is an all-too familiar landscape. It was here that Kaur made her India debut at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in 2009.
With India riding on a wave of confidence, Kaur conceded that a fairytale ending to the upcoming tournament will be a dream come true for her.
“It will be a dream come true for any cricketer who got debut in England and then winning the World Cup in England, I think I can't ask anything else for myself and from the god,” she said ahead of the first T20I in Chelmsford.
“And now it's only about just keeping myself in the positive frame and just keep doing the right things again and again, because consistency is something which always gives you results. And it's only about going there and expressing ourself and enjoying each and every moment on the field.”
Kaur is the only member of the Indian squad who has featured in all the Women’s T20 World Cup editions till date.
Ahead of her 10th outing however, she has added another feather to her cap, becoming the first Indian captain to lift a Women’s Cricket World Cup trophy.
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It is from that euphoric win that Kaur and her team are deriving inspiration from ahead of what’s expected to be one of the most competitive editions of the tournament.
“I think winning the World Cup gave us a lot of confidence, and I think that confidence will carry to this T20 World Cup.
“When you win, you know what things you have done really well to win that World Cup. We know how to perform under pressure. So I think those things will give us confidence playing this T20 World Cup.”
Slotted in Group 1 alongside Australia, South Africa, Pakistan, Bangladesh and the Netherlands, India’s march to the tournament begins with their bilateral series against England on May 28.
Following this, the team will size up against West Indies and England in the warm-up fixtures ahead of the tournament on June 8 and 10 respectively.
Their opening contest of the T20 World Cup will see India go up against arch-rivals Pakistan on June 14 at Edgbaston.
India squad for Women's T20 World Cup 2026: Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Bharti Fulmali, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh, Shree Charani, Yastika Bhatia, Nandani Sharma, Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Singh, Kranti Gaud, Shreyanka Patil, Radha Yadav.
India's T20 World Cup schedule:
14th June - v Pakistan, Edgbaston
17th June - v Netherlands, Leeds
21st June - v South Africa, Manchester
25th June - v Bangladesh, Manchester
28th June - v Australia, Lord's