India captain Harmanpreet Kaur remains resolute in their approach of going for a win in every game ahead of the Women’s Asia Cup match against arch-rivals Pakistan. India are scheduled to open their campaign against their historic nemesis in Dambulla on July 19. India have recently secured a 3-0 clean sweep against South Africa in the home ODI series. They also registered an emphatic 10-wicket win in the one-off Test before levelling the three-match T20I series 1-1 as the second game got washed out due to rain in Chennai. Before the pressure game against Pakistan, Harmanpreet said as a team they need to focus on their game rather than other parameters of the clash.
“When you play against Pakistan, there is a different atmosphere in both the countries. Both the countries want their team to win. As a player, there is a lot of pressure for 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 it’s a pressure game. It will be important for me to make everyone feel that this is also just another game. We have to do well for the team and make the team win. Other than thinking about what is going on in the stadium, who are the other people cheering for? Who are they talking about? Just focus on the main things. Don’t think about the things that we can’t control,” Harmanpreet told Star Sports.
“The kind of approach we have right now, every day whenever we are going to play the matches, we are giving equal importance to all matches. We all are very greedy to win every game, and that is something we feel should be in a team, and this is what everyone in the team is feeling,” she added.
India batter Jemimah Rodrigues said the team’s atmosphere is positive and they are preparing well towards the common goal of winning every game in the tournament.
“The enthusiasm is really high, and that’s always been the scene. It’s a nice feeling, but more than that, it’s very inspiring to know that every time we walk out on the field, we know we have the support of every single person backing us. You know, many times we visualise that and walk into the field, so just imagine the confidence and the motivation we have to win every game,” she said.
“It’s just about how well we prepare rather than thinking too much ahead of ourselves. About the results, it’s always about preparation. So I think this is the mindset now. We know if we prepare well, we are going to go out there and do well,” Rodrigues added.
Speaking on the excitement of playing in the Women’s Asia Cup 2024, all-rounder Deepti Sharma said, “These are the kind of tournaments for which the players wait because it’s a big tournament. Our only goal is to perform well as a team, and we will back each other so that we perform well on the field for the further matches.”
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