T20 World Cup: Can it be the last frontier for skipper Harmanpreet ?

Will the upcoming ICC Women’s T20 World Cup be the final frontier for Harmanpreet Kaur, the veteran skipper of the Women in Blue? The 37-year-old, who endured several so-near-yet-so-far moments before the historic ODI World Cup triumph last year, now aims to replicate it in the T20 World Cup in England starting Friday (12 June).

It took the feisty woman from Moga in Punjab five editions — including a runners-up finish in 2017 — before she could lay her hands on the ODI World Cup trophy. The T20 format may still not be best suited to her girls, but they have a runners-up finish in the 2020 edition in Australia to their credit. This time, they want to go all the way as Harmanpreet feels they should live up to the high expectations generated after last year’s euphoria.

Speaking during Captains’ Day on Sunday, she recalled last year’s triumph that helped take the popularity of her team to even greater heights back home. "We saw that during last year’s World Cup when we won. After that, we have seen a massive change," she noted. "Many girls are coming to play cricket, and I think when we do well, a lot of things change. Hopefully, we play our best cricket and make an impact on women’s cricket."

During the media interaction, there was an awkward moment when Harmanpreet Kaur was asked about retirement. ‘Do you think I should stop?’ she shot back, prompting nervous laughter in the room, though it was clear she was sensitive to the question.

When the journalist clarified that he was only checking, Harmanpreet responded, ‘Then why are you asking?’ Her reply drew laughter from those present and helped lighten the mood during the media interaction, though it also recalled Mahendra Singh Dhoni once gently mocking an Australian journalist for a routine question posed to the veteran cricketer.

The upcoming tournament is expected to be one of the most competitive editions yet, with traditional powerhouses such as Australia, India, England and New Zealand all in contention. Ireland, meanwhile, return to the competition after missing out in 2024 and arrive with renewed confidence following a period of steady improvement.

India will officially begin their campaign on 14 June (Sunday) against arch-rivals Pakistan before taking on tournament debutants Netherlands on 17 June. They also have South Africa, Australia and Bangladesh in their group, with only the top two teams qualifying for the semi-finals — meaning there is little margin for error in this format.

Meanwhile, the Indian squad’s impressive depth was on display in their warm-up match in Cardiff, where they secured a comfortable 26-run victory over the West Indies on Monday, despite resting a couple of first-choice starters. It was a chance to give some of their fringe players time in the middle — and they did not disappoint.

Filling in as skipper in place of the rested Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana (39 off 23 balls) stepped up with added responsibility to help give India’s innings a strong start. Youngster Bharti Fulmali made the most of her opportunity, scoring 56 off 40 deliveries to anchor the middle overs. Shreyanka Patil and Radha Yadav then gave the team management multiple bowling options, sharing seven wickets between them.