India skipper Harmanpreet Kaur knows that fans have placed heaps of expectations on her side ahead of the upcoming ICC Women’s ODI World Cup at home, and she wants to enjoy the moment without succumbing to the pressure to land a maiden title.
India will start their campaign in the tournament with a match against Sri Lanka on September 30 at Guwahati.
“I think leading your country is always a very special moment for any player, but leading your country in ODI World Cup is even more special, and on top of that, it is a home World Cup, so it’s even more special,” Harmanpreet said during a captains’ press meet organised by the ICC.
“I mean, it’s unbelievable because, you know, when I started playing I never even thought I would get the opportunity to lead my country, it was only in a dream.
“The ODI World Cup is happening after 12 years [at home], and I think it’s going to be amazing for all of us. It’s all about enjoying this moment and not taking too much pressure,” she added.
India will come up against arch-rivals Pakistan at Colombo on October 5, but Harmanpreet wanted to focus on cricket rather than worrying about the political connotations of the match. The recent Indo-Pak contests in the ongoing Asia Cup saw some heated moments when some players engaged in over-the-top celebrations and verbal altercations. “Well, we can only control one thing which is playing cricket on the field and we are not thinking of other things. Because as cricketers, we can only control the things we have in our hand. But in other parts, I have zero control and I don’t even take those things into my mind. We don’t even discuss those things in the dressing room. We are only here to play cricket and our focus is only on cricket,” she said.
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