Indian women cricketers have developed a winning culture and are now “hungry for more”, captain Harmanpreet Kaur said ahead of the Asia Cup in the UAE and the Asian Games in Japan.
India head into the two tournaments on the back of a series of impressive performances, including their historic 270-run victory over England in the first women’s Test at Lord’s last month.
India Embrace Winning Mentality
Harmanpreet said India’s success over the past few years has created a strong belief within the team.
“The last 4-5 years has been good and where we have played good cricket, dominating cricket, have defeated big teams and won series also,” she told Sony Sports.
“Now, we are coming after the win at Lord’s and have also won many games on the trot, so the team has already tasted success and will be hungry for more.”
India will begin their Asia Cup campaign on Friday as they look to reclaim the title after losing the previous edition to Sri Lanka.
The record seven-time champions have been placed in Group A alongside arch-rivals Pakistan in the eight-team tournament.
‘Everybody Talks About Winning’
Harmanpreet believes the team’s biggest strength is the mindset that has developed among the players.
“The best thing is, everybody in the team talks about how to win a match, how to win tournaments. So when you have that kind of culture, you always feel motivated and you really look forward to go for any tournament,” she said.
However, she acknowledged that being labelled a strong team brings its own pressure.
“I think the biggest challenge is when you have the ‘good team’ tag, playing for those expectations is in itself a very big challenge because we know we dominate Asian cricket,” she said.
India will therefore need to maintain their intensity in every match rather than allowing expectations to affect their approach.
India-Pakistan Brings Extra Pressure
The India-Pakistan contest will be one of the most anticipated matches of the Asia Cup.
Harmanpreet admitted that the pressure surrounding the rivalry is unlike anything else in international cricket.
“No doubt it’s a high-pressure game and as a player you need to deal with multiple things. We keep playing international cricket but the amount of pressure in a India vs Pakistan match, that kind of pressure you don’t feel anywhere else,” she said.
The captain’s approach is to keep preparations simple and focus on the team’s routines.
“As a captain and as a player I try to keep things very simple, very easy. Only focus on cricket, focus on our aims, focus on our routines.”
Asian Games Gold On India’s Mind
After the Asia Cup, India will turn their attention to the Asian Games in Japan, where they will defend the gold medal won at the 2022 Hangzhou Games.
Harmanpreet said competing at the Asian Games offers a unique experience for cricketers because of the opportunity to win an individual medal for the country.
“This is one such moment where you get your own medal and I think when it’s about the medals, the motivation increases even more,” she said.
She also highlighted the opportunity to interact with athletes from other sports and understand their preparation methods.
“It’s not just only about cricket but knowing your other sports fellows also on how they prepare.”
Lord’s Victory Still Fresh
Harmanpreet also reflected on India’s landmark Test victory at Lord’s, describing the experience of playing at the iconic venue as a lifelong dream.
“Playing a Test match in Lord’s is a big dream for any cricketer. For me also, it was a very big dream and to lead the team is an even bigger dream,” she said.
India defeated England by 270 runs in the historic match, marking their second-highest Test victory by runs.
Harmanpreet admitted the memories of the triumph remain fresh.
“I think, before this I have played just 4-5 Tests but the feeling of playing at Lord’s it was totally different. I think, till now, thinking about those four days we had lived, we are still talking about it.”
With expectations rising after their recent success, Harmanpreet knows the challenge will be to maintain India’s winning standards across both tournaments.
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