Ahead of the Women’s T20 World Cup in England, India captain Harmanpreet Kaur said the team now wants to “make winning a habit” after lifting their maiden ICC 50-over World Cup title in 2025.
India’s historic World Cup triumph changed the mood around women’s cricket in the country and raised expectations for the upcoming T20 tournament. But Harmanpreet said the team is now focused on building consistency and sustained success.
“Winning that World Cup was a seminal moment for women’s cricket in India. It was bigger than one trophy. Most importantly, it brought belief and showed young girls that the highest stage is not out of reach,” Kaur wrote in her ICC column.
“The Women’s World Cup 2025 win gave us a massive boost in confidence. However, it was only the beginning. We want to make winning a habit. While the 2025 World Cup win gave us immense joy, it also gave us responsibility. We know expectations will rise, and that brings pressure, of course, but it is a good kind of pressure. It tells you that you have earned something important, and now you have to recreate it again,” she mentioned.
India head into the T20 World Cup after a busy run of international cricket. They swept Sri Lanka at home, won a T20I series in Australia for the first time in a decade, but also suffered a difficult series loss in South Africa.
Kaur said those experiences have helped prepare the team for another major ICC tournament.
“We would like to carry forward the confidence and belief from that win into the T20 World Cup. We know the standards we want to maintain, and the recent T20I series against Sri Lanka, Australia, and South Africa have helped us test ourselves and given us plenty of learnings,” she stated.
The India skipper admitted that T20 cricket leaves little room for mistakes, especially in high-pressure ICC events.
“Winning this tournament would mean a great deal. Every ICC trophy has its own challenges. The format is shorter, the margins are smaller, and the pressure is greater. We will have to be sharper right from the start, and winning the key moments will be crucial,” Kaur said.
She added that another ICC title could mark the beginning of a stronger era for Indian women’s cricket. “If we win this tournament, it would signal the beginning of a stronger and more consistent era for Indian women’s cricket,” she wrote.
Kaur also praised the impact of the Women’s Premier League in developing young players and strengthening India’s squad depth.
“What excites me about this squad is the balance we have. There is talent, fearlessness, and a good mix of experience and youth. A lot of credit goes to the Women’s Premier League (WPL). It has unearthed real talent and given players regular exposure to pressure situations, higher standards, and some of the best cricketers in the world. The players have grown in maturity, and the league has helped build a winning mindset.”
Reflecting on her memorable unbeaten 171 against Australia during the 2017 World Cup semifinal in England, Harmanpreet said that the tournament changed women’s cricket in India.
“My memories of the 2017 World Cup in England are still very fresh. My 171 against Australia changed a lot of things in my life. The team’s performance in the tournament was a turning point for Indian women’s cricket.”
“While we could not cross the finish line in the final, the reception we got from fans and the media on our return home was something special. That campaign made people sit up and take notice. Since then, the women’s game has grown a lot,” she recalled.
India have been drawn in Group A alongside Australia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, South Africa and the Netherlands. They will begin their campaign against Pakistan in Birmingham on June 14.