With the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup kicking off on October 3, Team India is gearing up to make ‘HerStory’ as they chase their first-ever title. Their campaign begins on October 4 against New Zealand, and ahead of the opener, former Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh weighed in on the competition, highlighting which teams could pose the biggest threat to India’s aspirations in the group stage.
Harbhajan Singh singled out Australia as the team India should be most cautious about, despite the matches being played in subcontinental conditions.
“India needs to be very careful when playing against Australia,” Harbhajan Singh said on Star Sports. “In this group, India has Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. All these matches are important, but the India-Australia match will be a tough one. Australia is a strong team, and even though these matches are in Dubai, where pitches may not suit them as well as back home, they are always hard to beat.”
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He also mentioned that Sri Lanka could be another team to watch out for, especially after their recent series win against India, which would have boosted their confidence. “Sri Lanka will be confident, and that will make it a good contest,” he added.
“Team India will be the team to beat in this tournament” 🇮🇳💙
That was @harbhajan_singh‘s view on the #WomenInBlue‘s chances at the #WomensWorldCuponStar! 🤩
Watch #WomensWorldCupOnStar | #INDWvNZW | FRI, 4th OCT, 7 PM onwards! pic.twitter.com/1NMN8J7wXQ
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) October 3, 2024
Looking at India’s chances in the tournament, Harbhajan expressed optimism, stating that India is one of the favorites to win the title. “Team India will be the team to beat in this tournament. They have a perfect balance of experience and youth. Harmanpreet Kaur is in good form, Smriti Mandhana is performing well, and Deepti Sharma is an incredible spinner. The team looks solid, and if they continue playing well, I believe they can win this World Cup.”
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As a final piece of advice, Harbhajan urged Team India to stay focused and not let the pressure get to them. “At this stage, all that matters is heart and courage. Play as a unit, take one match at a time, and focus on the process. If they do that, I’m confident they will perform well,” he said, emphasizing the importance of staying grounded and trusting the team’s abilities.
