We are pretty clear about our T20 World Cup XI: Harmanpreet

Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur said India will use the two warm-up matches ahead of the Women’s T20 World Cup to test a few more combinations and give opportunities to players such as Radha Yadav and Bharti Fulmali. 

India arrived in England hoping to end their long wait for a maiden Women’s T20 World Cup title. However, their build-up to the ICC showpiece suffered a setback after hosts England came from behind to clinch the three-match T20I series 2-1.

After registering a 38-run victory in the opener, India slipped to a 26-run defeat before losing the decider by six wickets on Tuesday.

“I feel we are pretty much clear, like what our XI is going to be going forward. I think we are pretty much clear and still we have two more games, practice games before the World Cup where we can still think about the other combinations,” she said after the loss.

“Like Radha is there. She did really well in WPL and she also feels ready. And apart from her, Bharti Fulmali is also there. She is a middle-order batter. She also batted really well.

“I think still we have two very good players who are sitting out and hopefully we will give them a fair chance in the practice games where we can see how they go about,” Harmanpreet added.

India have already experimented with their batting order following the return of Yastika Bhatia from a lengthy injury layoff.

Yastika has batted at No. 3 throughout the England series, resulting in Jemimah Rodrigues, who has traditionally excelled in that position, moving down to No. 4. Harmanpreet, meanwhile, has dropped from her customary No. 4 slot to No. 5.

With the openers struggling for consistency during the series against England and Richa Ghosh also not able to make a significant impact in the lower middle-order, the doors could open for Fulmali, whose only appearance on the tour came in the opening match.

On the bowling front, India rotated most of their resources, with Kranti Gaud, Arundhati Reddy, Nandini Sharma, Deepti Sharma, N. Shree Charani and Shreyanka Patil all getting opportunities. But Radha and Renuka Singh missed out.

Despite hinting at further experimentation in the warm-up matches, Harmanpreet insisted that the team management already has a fair idea of its preferred playing XI for the World Cup, which begins on July 12.

“I think the idea behind coming here early is to get used to these conditions and I think we are pretty much getting used to these conditions and hopefully we will get whatever we need from these conditions.”

India will play two warm up games against West Indies and England on June 8 and 10 respectively in Cardiff. 

The ‘Women in Blue’ open their campaign against arch-rivals Pakistan in Birmingham on June 14.