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India captain Harmanpreet Kaur opened up on the team's plans for the upcoming ODI World Cup 2025, which is scheduled to start from September 30, hosted by India and Sri Lanka. The 36-year-old star reckons that nothing gets bigger than playing the marquee tournament at home and expressed hope that the Women in Blue would not disappoint the fans who have been waiting for them to lift a World Cup across both white-ball formats.
Harmanpreet, who will be featuring in the fifth World Cup, said that the team does not want to put that pressure on themselves and just enjoys their game.
"It is my fifth ODI World Cup, and getting to lead the team in a home World Cup, it can't be bigger than this. It's a home World Cup, but we do not want to put any pressure on ourselves. Our primary goal is to enjoy cricket. The 2017 World Cup was a game-changing World Cup for us that brought a lot of awareness in India. Now, we have a big bunch of talent, and the Women's Premier League also played a big role in our lives. Every year has brought so much positivity to our cricket. I do not think any player can explain how it feels when the national anthem is being played. It is a very proud moment for me," said Harmanpreet on JioHotstar.
Harmanpreet revealed that her mindset will be the same as she wanted to do something special for the team and country and playing in India will be a very special moment for the team.
"Even when we play a World Cup, the mindset is the same: I want to do something special for my team and my country. I always motivate myself that way. Whenever I go out there, I should not feel any pressure. Playing a World Cup, in home conditions, will be a very special moment for all of us. And if we are able to win here, that will be a very big moment in my life, and not just in my life, but for the entire country. Everyone is waiting for that moment, and hopefully this time we will not disappoint them," he added.
Harmanpreet is the ninth-highest scorer in the history of the World Cup, with 876 runs in 26 matches and 22 innings at an average of 51.52, with three centuries and four fifties. Her best score is 171*. India will play the tournament opener against Sri Lanka, which will take place at the ACA Stadium in Guwahati on September 30.
India squad for ICC Women's World Cup:
Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Smriti Mandhana (vc), Pratika Rawal, Harleen Deol, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh, Uma Chetry, Renuka Singh Thakur, Deepti Sharma, Sneh Rana, Sree Charani, Radha Yadav, Amanjot Kaur, Arundhati Reddy, Kranti Gaud. Reserves: Tejal Hasabnis, Prema Rawat, Priya Mishra, Minnu Mani, Sayali Satghare.
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