Harmanpreet Kaur Optimistic About India's T20 World Cup Journey After Sri Lanka Victory
Indian Team Looks Ahead to T20 World Cup
Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], December 31: After leading her team to victory against Sri Lanka in the final T20I, Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur expressed her optimism about the team's performance in the upcoming six months, crucial for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup next year.
Following their historic win in the 50-over World Cup, Team India has begun their preparations for the T20 World Cup scheduled in the UK, achieving a clean sweep of 5-0 against Sri Lanka. They face a challenging Group A, which includes Australia, Pakistan, South Africa, and two yet-to-be-determined qualifiers, starting their campaign against Pakistan on June 14 in Birmingham.
During the post-match presentation, Harmanpreet remarked, “2025 has been a remarkable year for us. The hard work we’ve put in has finally been recognized. It’s essential to maintain these habits. We’ve played a lot of T20 cricket together, and it’s about having faith in our abilities. Coach Amol Muzumdar emphasized the importance of strike rates and elevating our standards. Everyone was enthusiastic, and we aimed to establish those benchmarks. Moving forward, we want to reflect on this series and strategize for the future.”
She added, “As a batter, I feel it’s my duty to strengthen our batting order and contribute effectively. Transitioning from ODI to T20 wasn’t straightforward, but the excitement to play was palpable. We fought hard for this victory, and I’m pleased with how everything aligned. The upcoming WPL is significant for us, and I hope we can showcase our best cricket while enjoying the game. The next six months are pivotal, and we aim to keep pushing ourselves and raising our performance levels.”
Shafali Verma, who was named ‘Player of the Series’ for her outstanding contributions, began her resurgence during the World Cup final with a stellar 87 and has continued that momentum in T20Is, scoring three fifties throughout the series.
In her post-match comments, Shafali stated, “The effort I’ve put in this year has yielded results. Sometimes, all the hard work pays off. I will strive to improve further for the next opportunity. ODI and T20 are different formats; in ODIs, you play more along the ground, while T20 is my preferred format. I’m continuously improving and aim to be a better asset for the team.”
Throughout the series, Shafali amassed 241 runs over five matches, including three fifties. In T20Is, she concludes the year with 417 runs in 10 matches, averaging 52.12, with four fifties and a top score of 79*.
In the final match, India set a target of 175/7 after being asked to bat first, thanks to a resilient 68 runs off 43 balls from captain Harmanpreet, who hit nine fours and a six, despite the team being in a precarious position at 77/5. Contributions also came from Amanjot Kaur (21 runs off 18 balls) and Arundhati Reddy (27* runs off 11 balls).
Sri Lanka began their chase positively, with notable fifties from Hasini Perera (65 runs off 42 balls) and Imesha Dulani (50 runs off 39 balls), keeping them in contention. However, India’s strong defense in the latter half limited Sri Lanka to 160/7 in their 20 overs.