Harmanpreet sounded confident too on the eve of India’s opening match, against Pakistan at Edgbaston here on Sunday. | Photo Credit: Getty Images

Harmanpreet Kaur has been one constant for India’s remarkable resurgence in women’s cricket. She feels she is grateful to be leading the country in yet another major ICC tournament.

She sounded confident too on the eve of India’s opening match, against Pakistan at Edgbaston here on Sunday. She believes a win is important in the first match.

ALSO READ | PREVIEW: Birmingham awaits another India vs Pakistan tussle

“That first game always sets the tone for you, and all of us are looking forward to the match,” she said. “We want to go to the tournament with the same positive attitude ahead of the last ODI World Cup.”

She would not deny the pressure that is there ahead of a match against Pakistan. “I have experienced that pressure from the time I started watching cricket as a supporter, and now that I am playing, there is more pressure,” Harmanpreet said. “But we tell each other that it is always better to enjoy these games. And more than anything else, it is just another game.”

There was the inevitable question at the press conference about the handshake with the Pakistan players. “We are here for cricket and we (in the team) don’t talk about anything else,” she replied.

She talked at length about Richa Ghosh’s superb innings against England in the warm-up match. “We were waiting for Richa to get her confidence back,” she said. “She is a key player, a game-changer for us. After that match, she is looking really good at the nets even. One good innings always gives you a lot of confidence.”

Fatima Sana says World Cup campaign important for future of women’s cricket in Pakistan

Pakistan captain Fatima Sana believes the Women’s T20 World Cup is important for the future of the game in her country. “The ICC has taken an initiative by letting Pakistan host the next World Cup,” she said. “This tournament is important for us because if we play well here, we will get more support in Pakistan.”

Fatima said if her team did well here and in the next World Cup in Pakistan, more parents would want their daughters to play cricket. “And it is nice to see so much support for our team here in Birmingham,” she said. “We have already seen that.”

Published on Jun 13, 2026