Durban: India captain Harmanpreet Kaur believes the upcoming five-game T20I series against South Africa offers ideal preparation ahead of the 2026 Women’s T20 World Cup. With five matches lined up, the first of which takes place at the Kingsmead Stadium on Friday evening, the focus for India is on fine-tuning their approach and personnel for the T20 World Cup.
“Last time we met them was at the ODI World Cup final. It was a great match and a great memory to remember for a lifetime. In T20, every team is doing really well; they’re very competitive. South Africa is one of the teams that has been doing really well for the last four years. I think before the World Cup, it’s a great preparation for us,” Harmanpreet said in a video posted by the BCCI on their social media accounts.
Head coach Amol Muzumdar pointed to India’s recent successes across formats. “It’s been enormous, I think – beating Australia in Australia 2-1. Prior to that, beating Sri Lanka at home 5-0. Prior to that, beating England in England 3-2. Very important in terms of prep, planning, and also the execution part,” he said.
Harmanpreet added that the squad is shaping up well for the challenge in South Africa. “Everybody is looking very positive. Young girls are also looking very good in the nets. So, I mean, everyone is in good shape, good to see that,” she said.
Muzumdar praised the intensity of the recent camp the side went through at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru. “It’s been fantastic, I think. We had a superb camp, a 10-day camp at the CoE. Everyone put in real hard yards. I think I’ve not seen this group of players work so hard as we’ve put in in the last 10 days,” he said.
Harmanpreet summed up the team’s outlook for the series. “Good that we are playing against good teams so that when we are heading for the main tournament, we are mentally and physically prepared. I think it’s a very good stage for us.”
(IANS)
