SYDNEY (Australia): Harmanpreet Kaur will be looking for luck and confidence as India take on Australia in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2020 opener on Friday.
India have failed to reach the final in any of the six previous editions with a semifinal spot two years ago the third time they have reached the knockout stages.
A lack of performance at key moments has usually been the cause of disappointment, but the winds of change are blowing ahead of their opening match.
With youngsters aplenty in a squad that has an average age of 22.8, Kaur is relishing the chance for all of her players to step up to the mark against the defending champions in Sydney.
“If you want to do well as a team, you need to come up together and do well for the side,” Kaur told ICC-Media. “Through past tournaments, we have learnt that you cannot depend on just one or two players to win the game for you.”
“As a woman cricketer, we love these moments, we missed the coverage in the past and so the players are enjoying it.”
Harmanpreet Kaur, India captain.
Few challenges in world cricket are greater than playing four-time champions Australia on their home turf in the opening game of the T20 World Cup.
But Kaur’s side may still revel in plenty of support of their own, with Sydney Showground expected to be awash with a fair share of blue and gold jerseys in the crowd.
With a packed house in store, the captain is calling on her side to enjoy the moment – acknowledging just how far women’s cricket has come since the first edition in 2009.