New Delhi: Team India departed for the United Arab Emirates in their quest to script history at the upcoming Women’s T20 World Cup 2024. The Harmanpreet Kaur-led squad left for UAE from Mumbai in the early hours of Wednesday (September 25). The 15-member squad, carrying billions of hopes, was in good spirits during their departure for the World Cup mission.
India will open their campaign against New Zealand on October 4, a day after the tournament kicks off with a thrilling match between hosts Bangladesh and Scotland at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.
The tournament will played in UAE from October 3 to 20. The marquee event was originally slated to be held in Bangladesh but was moved due to the civil unrest in the country.
India pooled in tough group
India are pooled in Group A alongside New Zealand, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Australia.
Following the clash against the Kiwis, India will face arch-rivals Pakistan on October 6. The Women in Blue will lock horns against Sri Lanka on October 9 before meeting Australia on October 9 in their last league match.
While India look a much-improved side, Australia and England will be firm favourites to win the prestigious trophy.
Australia, in particular, will be hard to stop as they are the most dominant team of the tournament, making all seven finals, winning six and losing just once in 2016 against the West Indies.
Indian skipper Harmanpreet is confident of his team’s chances at the marquee event because of the experience the players bring to the table. Barring newcomers Shreyanka Patil, Asha Sobhana and S Sajana, 12 of India’s 15 squad members have played in the T20 World Cup before.
While the prior experience of playing on a big stage will be crucial, Women In Blue must overcome several challenges to script history in UAE.
What are the challenges India face in the Women’s T20 World Cup?
While India’s batting and fielding have improved over the years, fielding remains an issue. Head coach Amol Mazumdar revealed that the team underwent intense fielding and fitness camps to iron out the issues.
“We did a lot of fitness and fielding in the first camp; the entire 15 days were delegated to that aspect of the game,” Muzumdar said in a press conference.
“This was specifically done for those two areas where the skills weren’t touched.”
Skipper Harmanpreet also admitted that the team will put in every possible effort to overcome the flaws that cost India the Asia Cup title against Sri Lanka in July. India made a series of fumbles in the final, including several dropped catches. To address these issues, the Indian squad participated in a series of camps at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru to prepare for the World Cup.
Besides the fielding and fitness issues, India will also look to up their mental game to perform under pressure situations. There have been plenty of instances in the past where India threw away the match from winning positions after buckling under pressure.
A total of 10 teams will compete across 23 matches for the coveted trophy.
As Team India embarks on Women’s T20 World Cup mission, what are the challenges Harmanpreet Kaur & Co will face in UAE? Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
