India women's national cricket team captain Harmanpreet Kaur has opened up about her biggest aspiration ahead of the upcoming ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, revealing how winning the title at Lord’s would become one of the most memorable moments of her career.
The experienced Indian skipper reflected emotionally on her cricketing journey and how achieving World Cup glory in England would complete a perfect full-circle moment in her life.
India are currently preparing for a crucial three-match T20I series against England women's national cricket team ahead of the marquee ICC event, with the opening match scheduled to be played at Chelmsford.
Harmanpreet Kaur reveals why winning World Cup in England would mean everything
Speaking ahead of the T20I series against England, Harmanpreet Kaur admitted that lifting the T20 World Cup trophy at Lord’s would be a dream fulfilled.
The Indian captain pointed out that she had made her T20I debut in England during the 2009 Women’s T20 World Cup, making the upcoming tournament emotionally special for her.
"Yeah, definitely. I think it will be a dream come true for any cricketer who got their debut in England and then won the World Cup in England," Harmanpreet Kaur said.
"I can't ask anything else for myself and from God. It's about keeping ourselves in a positive frame and doing the right things again and again because consistency always gives results," she added.
The 36-year-old further stated that India’s players are fully focused on enjoying the pressure moments and expressing themselves freely during the tournament.
"It's about going there, expressing ourselves and enjoying each moment on the field," she said.
Harmanpreet backs India to shine in T20 World Cup
Harmanpreet Kaur also highlighted how India’s recent ODI World Cup triumph has boosted the confidence level inside the dressing room heading into another ICC event.
According to the skipper, the team now understands how to handle pressure situations and win crunch matches on the biggest stage.
"Winning the World Cup gave us a lot of confidence. That confidence will carry over to this T20 World Cup," Harmanpreet Kaur said.
"We now know how to win and perform under pressure. Those experiences will give us confidence playing this World Cup," she added.
The India captain also stressed the importance of the ongoing England series, calling it ideal preparation before the global tournament.
"Any series before a World Cup is very important. It's good that we are getting these conditions before the tournament so that we can get used to it," she said.
"Playing against England is always challenging. We love playing in English conditions. Hopefully, this series will give us everything we need and a lot of confidence going into the T20 World Cup," Harmanpreet added.
The Women in Blue will begin their T20 World Cup campaign on June 14 and will be hoping to finally end their ICC trophy drought under Harmanpreet Kaur’s leadership.