Sydney, Feb 20 (UNI) Less than one day remain until the captain leads out her India side
at the Sydney Showground, with a tantalising match-up with the home nation raising the
curtain on the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2020.
Before that, however, the two countries were officially welcomed to New South Wales on Wednesday, with players and fans descending on the iconic Sydney Opera House ahead
of the February 21 showdown.
“The nerves do start to kick in because we are very excited about that opening game and
we’re looking positive in that,” said Harmanpreet Kaur, who knows the city well after her
stint with Sydney Thunder in the WBBL.
“We are a side that can put pressure on any team, we just look to stay in the right mindset
and play in the way we can because that is our biggest strength," she said.
“In sport, sometimes you are in good form and others you are not. I know that everyone
playing in this tournament will look to be positive, and that is good for our team," Kaur said.
“If the Sydney Showground is on the slower side, it will suit us, and it looks that way
currently. We are looking good in that," she said.
“We all know that everyone in India loves cricket, wherever we go we always have our fans
out there supporting and we are looking forward to that again,” Kaur added.
The recent tri-series final between the teams whetted the appetite for a tournament opener
that looks set to be one of the matches of the competition.
Both teams will also be backing themselves to go all the way to the MCG on March 8,
hoping to walk out in front of a record attendance for a women’s sporting event anywhere
in the world, an ICC report said.
The hype leading into Australia is arguably greater than ever before but there’s one player
in gold who’s taking it all in more than anyone.
While her side go into the tournament as defending champions, Annabel Sutherland is
taking her first strides in the Women’s T20 World Cup, just a few weeks since making her
T20I debut.
“I’m absolutely pumped, we’re all really excited to get going in what’s a big and really
important game against India,” said the 18-year-old.
“I’m loving this experience. I didn’t expect it at all so I’m just looking to enjoy it as much
as I can and embrace everything that comes with it," she said.
“It’s an honour to be part of this team, one that has had success over the years, and
I’ve been welcomed in with open arms which has been lovely," Sutherland said.
“With people such as Meg Lanning and Ellyse Perry, you can’t help but be impressed
by the outstanding things that they’ve done over the years," she added.
UNI XC-BM