"We want to make winning a habit": Harmanpreet Kaur ahead of Women's T20 World Cup 2026
New Delhi, May 21
For Harmanpreet Kaur, India's historic triumph at the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2025 was about far more than lifting a trophy. It represented belief, progress and the growing possibilities for women's cricket in the country.
"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 the ICC column.
The victory marked India's first ICC women's title and instantly shifted focus towards sustaining success, with the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026 nears.
"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 said.
India's preparations for the upcoming ICC Women's T20 World Cup have already tested the side in varied conditions.
They clean-swept Sri Lanka at home, followed it with a landmark T20I series win in Australia -- their first against them in a decade -- before enduring a difficult 4-1 series defeat away to South Africa. A series against England now awaits as India aim to adapt to the tournament conditions.
"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 added.
Kaur believes success in the shorter format will demand precision from the very beginning.
"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. If we win this tournament, it would signal the beginning of a stronger and more consistent era for Indian women's cricket," she added.
India's squad carries significant experience, but also includes four players set for their maiden appearance at an ICC Women's T20 World Cup - Bharti Fulmali, Nandani Sharma, Shree Charani and Kranti Gaud. All four impressed in the Women's Premier League, a tournament Kaur credits heavily for strengthening India's talent pool.
"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," she said.
England, the venue for this year's marquee event, also carries special memories for the India captain. Her unforgettable 171* against Australia in the semi-final of the 2017 Women's Cricket World Cup remains one of the defining knocks in women's cricket history.
"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 recalls.
Nearly a decade later, Kaur believes India cricket stands at another defining moment -- one where the goal is no longer about simply competing, but consistently winning.
"Looking back, I feel proud of how far we have come. Looking ahead, we want to keep getting better, pushing the standard higher and making winning a habit," she concluded.
India is drawn in an exciting Group A alongside Australia, Bangladesh, the Netherlands, Pakistan and South Africa. They kick off their campaign on June 14 against their arch-rivals, Pakistan, in Birmingham.
— ANI
Reader Comments
It's not just about winning; it's about inspiring the next generation. I remember watching Harmanpreet's 171 in 2017 and thinking, 'If she can do it, so can I.' Now, young girls have actual heroes to look up to. BCCI should invest even more in domestic cricket and women's leagues across states. 🔥
The graph of women's cricket in India is going only upwards! After the 2025 World Cup win, I saw more girls in my colony cricket academy. That's the real win. Now, we need to make sure the media covers women's matches as much as men's. Seriously, who even knew about Shree Charani before this article? WPL has been a game-changer for talent scouting.
Hearing Harmanpreet talk about 'making winning a habit' gives me goosebumps. That's the mindset we need. The 2017 semi-final was legendary, but I want to see them lift the trophy this time. Pakistan in the opener on June 14 is going to be intense — hope they start strong and crush it in Birmingham. Let's go, Women in Blue! 👊💙
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.
R Rohit_45 Respectful criticism: I love this team, but we need to be realistic. Our T20 record in England hasn't been great, and South Africa just beat us 4-1. Banning toss or not, we can't rely on old glories. Harman's got to find consistency in the middle order; we dropped too many games in the powerplay against SA. Hope the inclusion of Bharti Fulmali and Nandani Sharma brings firepower.