Dutch skipper Babette de Leede spoke specifically about her experiences during the week of promotional activities preceding the official start of the T20 showpiece. | Photo Credit: Getty Images

The Netherlands women’s cricket team is all set to make a much-cherished debut in the Women’s T20 World Cup 2026. It will open its tournament run with a fixture against Bangladesh, a side it has faced in the global qualifiers and in a tri-series with Scotland weeks before the tournament.

Speaking to reporters ahead of the fixture, captain Babette de Leede spoke about how big the opportunity to be at this stage is for her and her teammates, calling it “a dream.” She spoke specifically about her experiences during the week of promotional activities preceding the official start of the T20 showpiece.

“It feels like I’m in a dream sometimes. I have to pinch myself and say, okay, this is real, like I’m really standing next to Harmanpreet (Kaur), for example, or it’s so cool to be here. And especially that Captain’s Carnival was like so cool to meet some of my idols and people I have been watching on TV and now I’m standing next to them and also to pick their brain about a few things.”

Knowledge transfer was high on de Leede’s priority list.

“They’re all very kind to me as well. So yeah, it’s a very special experience and yeah, it feels unreal sometimes. I think, yeah, also tomorrow is going to be incredible, especially since we were at the game yesterday. We watched England play Sri Lanka, and it’s just because it’s in England, like people love cricket. There was a good, good crowd. So yeah, it’s just, it’s an unreal experience, like really living, like living my dream.”

De Leede also shared a small bit of advice Harmanpreet passed on to her during the Captains’ Press Conference in London last week.

“Before the press conference, I asked her, 'Does it ever feel normal to you?’ Because I was quite nervous. And she said, “No, I’m always nervous. That’s completely normal.” She was very comforting and supportive. Also, this morning I spoke to Danni Wyatt-Hodge, who scored a ton yesterday. So we spoke a little bit about the pitch, and it’s so cool to see these people at breakfast or in the lift.So yeah, it’s such a cool experience for us.”

Published on Jun 14, 2026