New Delhi, Oct 3
As the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup commences on Thursday in the UAE, former spinner Harbhajan Singh shared his thoughts on India's opponents in group stage and said the Harmanpreet Kaur-led side "needs to be very careful" against Australia as they can pose the biggest challenge for them.
India are in Group A alongside six-time champions Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, while Group B comprises Bangladesh, 2009 champions England, South Africa, 2016 winners West Indies, and Scotland.
India will begin its campaign on Friday against New Zealand and will next play Pakistan on October 6. They will play Sri Lanka on October 9 before facing the record six-time champions Australia in their last group game on October 13.
"I think India needs to be very careful when playing against Australia. Looking at this group, India has Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. All these matches will definitely be important. But one match that I think will be a little tough is the India-Australia match. Australia is a good team, even though these matches are being played in Dubai, on subcontinent pitches that might not suit them as much as their home conditions," Harbhajan said on Star Sports.
"But Australia, no matter where they play, are hard to beat. So, the biggest challenge for India may be Australia. Sri Lanka, too, after their recent series win against India, will be confident when they play against India. So, that will also be a good contest," he added.
Women in Blue are hoping that 2024 is their year to win their first ICC World Cup, having been runners up three times – in the 2020 T20 World Cup and the 2005 and 2017 50-over tournaments.
Speaking about India's chances at the mega event, Harbhajan said, "Team India will be the team to beat in this tournament. I think India’s team is very strong. They have both experience and youth. Harman is in good form, Smriti is in good form, and Deepti is an unbelievable spinner. They are a very capable team and have been playing very good cricket. The unit looks solid. If Team India plays good cricket overall, I believe they will win this tournament."
India come into the tournament ranked third in the world and have reached at least the semifinals of the last three Women’s T20 World Cups.
Harbhajan further advised Team India to keep things simple in their pursuit of their maiden ICC title. "You have to try to give your best and not take pressure. At this stage, the only thing that matters is Gurda, Jigra. Know yourself, play as a unit, and give your best. Results will follow.
"Don’t think about the big picture; just take small steps with each match and focus on the process. I hope if they follow these things, our team will perform very well," he concluded.
