Indian Women’s Cricket Team are set to take on Sri Lanka in the final of the 2026 Asia Cup on Sunday. Both teams met in the final of the 2024 Asia Cup, with the Lankans beating the Women in Blue by eight wickets in Dambulla to claim their first title. India and Sri Lanka are unbeaten in the tournament so far.
Harmanpreet Kaur asked her team to be calm and not overthink ahead of the key game. The37-year-old said: “Whenever you are playing a final, it is key to back your strengths rather than trying too many things and thinking of doing something different. One has to back themselves and back their gut feeling.”
When asked to speak on the rematch of the 2024 final and on the strengths of both sides, Kaur said, “Last time we played against them, theLankan side came up with good plans and also put up solid performances. The team that plays well on a given day and comes up with the best cricket will win. That’s how it is in this format. No side is stronger or weaker than anyone. It is about playing the best cricket.”
She was asked about the batting unit, with every member performing when needed. “Each member of the side is key for us, and their contributions play a big role. It is nice to see everyone contributing whenever they are getting a chance. We have faced tough situations as a batting unit but have come out on top. The same is the case with bowlers who have performed well.”
Wickets in Dubai have seen the dominance of the spinners once the ball gets older, and the high scores that one expected before the tournament have been hard to come by. “Pitch has been tough to bat on, but we back our strengths and also have a good batting unit. We have to spend time in the middle, and the set batter has to take the onus and bat till the end.”
Indian skipper cautious of Chamari Athapaththu
Finally, when asked about rival skipper Chamari Athapaththu, the Indian star said: “I want to take her wicket early because all of us know how dangerous she is. Wehave to come up with solid plans for all the batters, not just her.” The 36-year-old Athapaththu has also done well with the ball and has claimed 11 wickets so far.
She is joint-top wicket-taker with Deepti Sharma in the current tournament. She claimed seven wickets against Indonesia.