India T20 captain Harmanpreet Kaur on Wednesday said her team are capable enough to put pressure on any side in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup if they stay in the right frame of mind. However, she said that they are eagerly waiting to face the defending champions Australia in the tournament opener on Friday.
“The nerves do start to kick in because we are very excited about that opening game and we’re looking positive in that,” said Harmanpreet, who knows the city well because of her stint with Sydney Thunder in the Women’s Big Bash League.
“We are a side that can put pressure on any team, we just look to stay in the right mindset and play in the way we can because that is our biggest strength. In sport, sometimes you are in good form and others you are not. I know that everyone playing in this tournament will look to be positive, and that is good for our team,” she added.
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“If the Sydney Showground is on the slower side, it will suit us, and it looks that way currently. We are looking good in that,” she said. “We all know that everyone in India loves cricket, wherever we go we always have our fans out there supporting and we are looking forward to that again.”
Players from both teams will be looking to play the final at the MCG on March 8, hoping to walk out in front of a record attendance on the women’s day. On the other hand, Young Australia pacer Annabel Sutherland, who is the daughter of former Cricket Australia CEO James Sutherland, will play her first World Cup who made her debut just a few weeks ago.
“I’m absolutely pumped, we’re all really excited to get going in what’s a big and really important game against India,” said the 18-year-old. “I’m loving this experience. I didn’t expect it at all so I’m just looking to enjoy it as much as I can and embrace everything that comes with it. It’s an honour to be part of this team, one that has had success over the years, and I’ve been welcomed in with open arms which has been lovely,” she added.
