South Africa series is great chance to prepare for T20 World Cup: Harmanpreet

DURBAN: Emphasising the need to give all players adequate opportunities ahead of the T20 World Cup, India captain Harmanpreet Kaur on Thursday said her side is confident and keen to make the most of the five-match T20I series against South Africa, starting here on Friday.

Harmanpreet also said that her side is brimming with confidence following their ODI World Cup triumph. India recently registered T20I series wins over Australia and Sri Lanka.

The skipper stressed that the matches against South Africa would offer a valuable opportunity to fine-tune combinations and build momentum ahead of the global event  to be held in England and Wales from June 12 to July 5.

"We want to take this opportunity very seriously and play our best cricket here. It's a great chance for us to come together and prepare well before the World Cup," Harmanpreet said at the pre-series press conference.
India feature in Group A alongside Australia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, South Africa and the The Netherlands.

Harmanpreet underlined that giving opportunities to all players in the five-match series would be a priority.

"These matches are important to ensure all players get equal opportunities so that we are fully ready as a unit going into the World Cup. At the same time, we are here to win," she noted.

"After the ODI World Cup, the team is quite confident. Wherever we are going, we are going with full confidence. The team is in good shape and this series is very important for us before the World Cup."

On the opposition, Harmanpreet described South Africa as a "balanced side" with strong all-round options, noting their consistency in reaching the latter stages of ICC events.

"They have very good players and quality all-rounders, which is very important in T20 cricket. They have been playing competitive cricket over the last few years and reaching finals regularly," she said.

"Playing against a strong team like South Africa always gives you confidence if you do well. That's why we wanted to face them before the World Cup."

Speaking about conditions in Durban, Harmanpreet said the team had a productive training session and found the weather comparable to Indian conditions, though pitches would pose a different challenge.

"The weather is quite similar to India. The only difference is the pitch, but we are getting used to it and hopefully will give our best," she said.

Harmanpreet also expressed excitement about young all-rounder Anushka Sharma, who has impressed in domestic cricket and the Women's Premier League. The 22-year-old is an off-spin bowling all-rounder.

"She is a great talent and has done well whenever she has got the opportunity. Bringing her here is about giving her exposure and experience before the World Cup," she said.

Reflecting on recent mixed results across formats, Harmanpreet said the team remains focused on the bigger picture.

"Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, but it's important to focus on what lies ahead. Our main target is the T20 World Cup, and we want to play good cricket leading into it to regain full confidence," she said.

On team combinations, she indicated that selections have been guided by South African conditions, particularly the need for multiple pace options, while maintaining faith in the spin attack led by experienced players like Deepti Sharma.