India are set to host the 2025 Women’s World Cup starting on September 30 and captain Harmanpreet Kaur has said that the team is desperate to make the most of playing in home conditions and win the tournament for the first time. India have finished runners-up twice – in 2005 and 2017, with Harmanpreet being part of the team on one of those occassions. Mithali Raj was skipper when India last reached the final in 2017, with Harmanpreet being almost a breakout start for the team in that tournament.
The latter is now captain and unveiled the trophy along with the retired Mithali, her teammates Smriti Mandhana and Jemimah Rodrigues and 2011 men’s World Cup winning India great Yuvraj Singh. Harmanpreet made a special mention for Yuvraj, who was India’s talisman in every part of the game when they won the title in 2011. “We want to break that barrier which all Indians are waiting for. World Cups are always special, always want to do something special for my country. Whenever I see Yuvi bhaiya (Yuvraj Singh) it gives me a lot of motivation,” Harmanpreet said in Mumbai at the trophy unveiling ceremony.
India go into the Australia series at home, starting September 14, high on confidence after beating England in an away ODI and T20I series. “Playing against Australia is always challenging and we get to know what our standing is. The series (three ODIs vs Australia) will give us a lot of confidence. We have been putting a lot of effort in our training camps and the results are showing,” said Harmanpreet.
Her match-winning 171 in the semifinal against Australia back in 2017 remains fresh in Harmanpreet’s mind. “That knock was something really special to me and the entire women’s cricket. A lot of things changed for me after that knock. When we came back to India, even though we had lost, a lot of people were waiting and cheering for us. I still get goosebumps,” she added.
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