Women's WT20 l Harmanpreet Kaur: Knew we had to win them all

Fans celebrate after India make it to the women's T20 World Cup final at the Sydney Cricket Ground yesterday. Pic/AFP

The unbeaten run in the group stage propelled India into their maiden Women's T20 World Cup final after their last-four clash against England was washed out here on Thursday. Persistent rain since morning delayed the toss and eventually the semi-final was called off without a ball being bowled. India had topped Group A with four victories in as many matches while England had finished second in Group B with three wins and a defeat. England had ended runners-up in the previous edition. After the abandoned match, India skipper Harmanpreet Kaur thought scheduling a reserve day for the semi-finals would be a great idea.

Tough rules

"Unfortunate we didn't get a game, but there are rules and we have to follow it. Having reserve days in the future will be a great idea," she said. India entered the semi-finals with a 100 per cent win record, having beaten hosts Australia, New Zealand, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in Group A, and Harmanpreet said the team knew the importance of winning all matches from the beginning.

"From Day One, we knew we have to win all the games because in case the semis don't happen, that would be hard for us. In that sense, credit to the team for winning all the games," she added. The skipper is relishing being part of the showpiece and feels it's shaping up to be a special occasion for the sport as a whole. "We will try to give our best. If we win, definitely we'll get a lot of attention and a lot of love from back home. Hopefully, like we got in the 2017 World Cup final, we'll get a very good day for women's cricket," Harmanpreet said.

Parents in attendance

It was double delight for the captain as, for the first time in her international career, her parents were in attendance. "It was the first time they were going to watch me playing cricket since my dad did when I was in school, and my mother has never watched me play," Harmanpreet said at the media conference.

Rain washes out the first semi-final of women's T20 World Cup. Pic/AFP

Her parents will remain in Australia to watch India play in the final at the iconic MCG, which will take place on her 31st birthday.

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