Women's Cricket
Harmanpreet Kaur wants to build team for next T20 World Cup
Indian skipper Harmanpreet Kaur said that the new players will get longer rope in T20 keeping the next world cup in mind.
Harmanpreet Kaur to lead the Indian women's cricket team in the Asian Games final against Sri Lanka.
Harmanpreet Kaun said a long rope will be given to the players selected for the ongoing series against England as well as the series against Australia at home, keeping in mind next year's T20 World Cup.
The Indian women's team skipper was referring to the busy month ahead India will play two more T20Is and a one-off Test against England, followed by a one-off Test, three ODIs, and as many T20Is against Australia.
Harmanpreet said that India will look to give more opportunities to new players in the upcoming matches.
India has picked three new spinners Shreyanka Patil, Saika Ishaque, and Mannat Kashyap for the ongoing three-match T20I series against England.
"The team which we picked for this T20I is the one we want to build for the upcoming World Cup," Harmanpreet told media after India's training session here ahead of the second match of the series against England.
While both Patil and Ishaque made their debuts in the first T20I played on Wednesday which India lost by 38 runs, Kashyap featured in the three-match 'A' series before getting her maiden call-up to the national side.
"Saika and Shreyanka (Patil) have dony well in the last game. They are quite confident. After the game we did sit with them and discuss what best they can do in the upcoming game," Harmanpreet said.
However, it was a forgettable outing for both the young bowlers as Patil returned with figures of 2/44 while Ishaque took 1/38 in their respective four overs each.
"For them, they just need opportunities and so many opportunities are there now. They just need to go out there and execute themselves in the best way," the skipper added.
Harmanpreet was clear that improving the team's fielding remains a top priority after India dropped a couple of crucial catches and also made other errors in the field. "Fielding is something we have been talking (about) for so many years and fielding is something as a team we want to improve," she said.
Harmanpreet assured that the girls won't be distracted by the WPL auction today.
"Almost all the girls are already in some team or the other, so I don't think the auction is going to be a distraction for us tomorrow," she said.
