Indian women’s team captain Harmanpreet Kaur has spoken about the team’s preparation for the much-awaited match against Pakistan in the upcoming Women’s Asia Cup 2024. Harmanpreet Kaur asserted that the Indian team can focus on their performance rather than the pressure of rivalry.

The 2024 Asia Cup will be held from July 19 to 28 in Sri Lanka in the T20 format. Harmanpreet Kaur will lead the Indian women’s team, with Smriti Mandhana as her deputy. The tournament will serve as an opportunity for the team to prepare for the 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup, which will begin in October.

The Indian women’s cricket team is in Group A of the Asia Cup, along with Pakistan, Nepal and the United Arab Emirates. The Harmanpreet Kaur-led team will begin their campaign in the tournament against arch-rivals Pakistan in Dambulla on July 19. The Women in Blue will take on the UAE and Nepal on July 21 and 23 respectively.

There is a different atmosphere – Harmanpreet Kaur

Harmanpreet Kaur said her role as a leader is to mentally prepare the team for the intense match against Pakistan. She acknowledged the pressure that comes with such matches, but expressed her responsibility to help the players stay relaxed and focused.

“When you play against Pakistan, there is a different atmosphere in both countries. Both countries want their team to win. As a player, there is a lot of pressure on us. But as a leader, it is my responsibility to make my team feel light in that environment so that they don’t think that we are playing against Pakistan or that it is a pressure game,” Harmanpreet told Star Sports.

We are all very greedy – Harmanpreet Kaur

Harmanpreet Kaur stressed the importance of treating the match against Pakistan like any other match. She said the team needs to focus on their performance and not get distracted by external factors or crowd dynamics, focusing on what they can control to achieve victory.

“It will be important for me that everyone feels like this is just another game. We have to do well for the team and make sure they win. Apart from thinking about what is happening in the stadium, who are the others cheering for? Who are they talking about? We just have to focus on the main thing. Not think about things that we cannot control,” he added.

“We all have a strong desire to win every game and that is something we believe should happen in a team and that is what everyone in the team feels,” Harmanpreet added.

The Harmanpreet Kaur-led team will start the upcoming tournament as the reigning champions. The Indian team is aiming to clinch its eighth title. It recently won an ODI series 3-0 against South Africa at home. It ended a three-match T20I series by equalling it with a thumping 10-wicket win in the final match.

Also Read: Mitchell Starc mocks his KKR price tag for IPL 2024; says Pat Cummins and I laughed