ICC Women’s World T20: Good opening has helped me play freely, says Harmanpreet Kaur

India defeated Bangladesh by 72 runs and next play Pakistan at Feroz Shah Kotla in New Delhi on March 19.

Harmanpreet kaur scored 40 runs of 29 balls with three fours and two sixes against Bangladesh. (Source: PTI)

Player-of-the-Match Harmanpreet Kaur on Tuesday said Indian batting is no more dependent on captain Mithali Raj and they have good top order batswoman, including opener V R Vanitha, to take up the challenge.

“Of course good openers including Vanitha has helped me play freely. In the last two years, we did not have good openers and we all depended on Mithali (Raj), but things have changed for now. If Mithali doesn’t click in some matches, we take up the challenge and see the team through,” Kaur told reporters during post-match session here at Chinnaswamy stadium in Bengaluru.

Replying to a query on the strategy adopted by the Indians after losing two quick wickets under ten overs, Kaur said she was advised by Mithali to settle down and the captain would go after the bowling since the pitch was turning.

“Mithali had already settled when I walked in. She told me to first settle down and she would go for the hits. This was the strategy because the wicket was turning unlike it didn’t the last time we played here,” she said.

Kaur said she enjoyed both the sixes she hammered as they came at a very crucial time for her team when they were looking to raise the scoring rate.

Asked whether the match was won by India in first ten overs when the visiting side were struggling at 35 for three, Kaur said: “It is a T20 game. We were trying to look at full 20 overs, and then celebrate. It is the T20 game, and we cannot take anybody easily,”she said.

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