Harmanpreet Kaur shows Australia their place ahead of Women's T20 World Cup 2024

India women's cricket team captain Harmanpreet Kaur is confident about her team overcoming the challenges posed by Australia in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024.

Harmanpreet Kaur acknowledged that Australia is a strong team in the tournament but added that Team India is capable of beating them.

Team India has only reached the final once since the inception of the Women's T20 World Cup in 2009. India was defeated by Australia in the final in 2020.

India also lost the ODI World Cup final to Australia in 2017. Harmanpreet has been a member of both teams and led India in the T20 World Cup.

The Women in Blue reached their first-ever T20 World Cup final in 2020 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. However, the team was dismissed for 99 while chasing 185 against Australia. Harmanpreet Kaur remains optimistic about India's chances in the upcoming tournament in the UAE next month.

We Are A Strong Team - Harmanpreet Kaur

At a press conference, the Indian skipper said that India will defeat Australia in the upcoming Women's T20 World Cup. Harmanpreet highlighted that Team India has the opportunity to win the title after several years. She said they need to stay focused and play good cricket.

"Look, their team is good, no doubt about that. They also know that India is one of the teams that can challenge them. I think that is a really positive sign. We know that whenever we play against them, we can beat them any day, any time," Harmanpreet said in a press conference.

"Winning the title after so many years is a great opportunity for us. They know we are a strong team. We just want to play good cricket and stay focused on what will help us beat them," she added.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by ICC (@icc)

India reached the semi-finals in the 2023 Women's T20 World Cup. However, they lost to Australia by five runs in Cape Town.

India has had mixed results since the end of the last tournament. They secured victories against Bangladesh but suffered a series loss to Australia and England before that.

It's The Best Team Going Into The World Cup - Harmanpreet Kaur

The 35-year-old cricketer highlighted that the team has a wealth of experience, as several players have been part of the squad for a long time and know their roles well. Kaur emphasized that this is the best team they are taking into the tournament.

"If I talk about this team, we have a few players who have been playing for a long time and know their roles really well. I'm quite confident with this team, and I can say that, yes, it's the best team going into the World Cup," she added.

Australia and England have been India's toughest opponents in ICC tournaments over the past seven years. India is placed in Group A alongside Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. The Harmanpreet Kaur-led team will begin their campaign against New Zealand on October 4 in Dubai.

Also read: Shreyas Iyer, Shardul Thakur set to represent Mumbai in Irani Cup 2024 under Ajinkya Rahane